Name: Yaima Coto
Age: 30
Family: Boyfriend, Jason Carter Love
Pets: A dog named Milo and three cats, Sunny, Tally and Teddy.
Education: J.D., Florida State University College of Law, JD
Admitted to the Bar: April 2013
Employed by: Harris, Guidi, Rosner, Dunlap & Rudolph
Field of practice: Civil litigation, focusing mainly in personal injury and family law
Professional organizations: The Jacksonville Bar Association (Human Rights Committee — chair); Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association (Judicial Reception — vice president); and Jacksonville Justice Association
Community involvement: Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (commissioner); Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women (commissioner); and Women Giving Alliance (Delores Barr Weaver Fellowship Program — fellow). Also, as a plaintiffs’ lawyer and an immigrant from very humble origins, I feel very strongly about equal access to justice. Therefore, I support Jacksonville Area Legal Aid as much as I can, be it by attending the Equal Justice Award event, Ask-A-Lawyer, Citizenship Day, Support Justice Initiative at City Hall, happy hours benefiting JALA, etc. Kathy Para just has to ask and I’m there.
How did you become involved?
I joined JWLA shortly after moving to Jacksonville and was asked to help organize two events, the date auction benefiting JALA and the judicial reception. Those two events turned into a board position and more invitations to join other projects.
How can someone else become involved?
The ways to get involved are endless. Most organizations will be happy with your contribution, regardless of whether it’s time, money or talent. The trick is to find the organization that matters to you and then reach out to them. Chances are they will be happy to have someone else join their ranks and contribute to their cause.
What have you learned/achieved through the experience?
Mentors are essential to one’s success. I am blessed to work with a team of very skilled attorneys, many of whom have been practicing law for just as long as I have been alive. They are always willing to listen and give their 2 cents on how to handle complex legal matters. Having a strong group of mentors is a game-changer.
Also, professionalism above all. I plan to practice in Jacksonville for many years to come and I often think on what I want to find once I look back on my career 15 to 20 years from now. Truth is, those attorneys that I look up to have two things in common: they are exceptionally good at what they do and they practice law in a very ethical, no short cuts kind of way.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
I generally keep several books on my nightstand at any given time. I am currently reading “Three Guineas” by Virginia Woolf and “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.