Name: Reid M. Hart
Age: 30
Family: My core family includes Suzanne Hart (Ma), Lee Hart (Pa), Christopher Hart (brother) and Scott Hart (brother), though I consider a lot of my friends to be family, as well.
Pets: I cannot wait to get another dog. My previous dog, Cadence, passed away in December 2012 due to medical complications at the age of 5. It was like losing a family member.
Education: I received my undergraduate degree from the University of North Florida in 2006 before going to law school at Stetson University College of Law, where I graduated with honors in 2009.
Admitted to the Bar: The Florida Bar (2009)
Employed by: The Law Office of John M. Phillips after practicing the past four years in St. Petersburg and Tampa
Field of practice: Criminal defense, exclusively. I have found it provides a unique opportunity to “police the police” while helping good people and their families during a time they feel the whole world is against them.
Professional organizations: I am a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) and the local Northeast Chapter of FACDL. As far as the practice of criminal defense is concerned, FACDL is the best organization in the state of Florida.
Community involvement: While practicing criminal defense in St. Petersburg, I had the privilege to serve as co-counsel for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in the Tampa Bay area. As their counsel, we assisted in removing abused and neglected animals from the homes and stores of their owners so they could be nursed back to health and adopted out to a new, loving home.
Since beginning work in Jacksonville, our office has received the “Companies With Heart” award for its continued efforts in and around the community. As recent as this past August, our office helped raise $2,500 to support K9s for Warriors, an organization dedicated to providing service canines to our warriors suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injury as a result of military service post-9/11.
How did you become involved? I originally became involved with the SPCA as a result of working at a criminal defense firm that had significant involvement with the SPCA Pet Walk held in Downtown St. Petersburg every year. The event supports the cause to end animal cruelty and help raise money to rescue, rehab, and rehome homeless and abused animals.
Now that I am home, I look forward to continuing my involvement in the local community both through our firm as well as personally, especially with the holidays approaching.
How can someone else become involved? Everyone can get involved by creating awareness and lending a helping hand. Find a cause or organization you love in your community and ask them how you can help. As those involved in all such organizations will tell you, every little bit counts.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience? I have learned that one person really can make a difference. Whether helping veterans, abused animals or any other group in need, the assistance and inspiration you provide others serve a greater good that benefits the entire Jacksonville community.
What was the last book you read or are reading? The last book I read for pleasure was “The Confession” by John Grisham. Before that were two other John Grisham novels. He is a great legal writer.