Kirby Geraghty recently joined the law firm of Akerman Senterfitt as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group.
ABOUT THE FIRM
Akerman Senterfitt is a Florida law firm with eight offices and 360 attorneys statewide. The original Orlando branch was established in 1920. The Jacksonville office has been active since 1999 and employs 35 attorneys. “It’s a diverse area of practice; we deal with appellate work, real estate property tax, labor and employment issues. It’s neat to have the name recognition and the backing of all the attorneys.”
EDUCATION
Geraghty graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She went straight to law school at Mercer University in Macon. “I took a lot of different classes to figure out what type of practice I wanted to go into. There was an emphasis on teaching attorneys practical skills. The research and writing program there is nationally recognized. The writing is intense because so many documents have to be almost perfect.”
CLERKING
After law school, Geraghty clerked for a federal magistrate judge in Brunswick for a year and a half. She assisted with research and attended trials and hearings. “It’s almost like another form of school. The artificial setting of law school limits you, but while clerking you learn what judges like in lawyers and in cases, and you learn what they don’t like.”
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Geraghty worked at the law firm of Boyd and Jenerette, focusing her practice on civil litigation, handling insurance defense claims and general liability cases.
WHY MAKE THE SWITCH?
“With Boyd and Jenerette I did a case on construction litigation, which is a subset of commercial litigation. I really liked it and it made me think about different areas of practice. Now I’m doing commercial and tax litigation, which is of great interest to me. It is constantly challenging. I’m being introduced to new areas all the time.”
FAMILY LAW
Geraghty’s father and two older sisters are attorneys, as is her fiancee, Doug. One of her sisters is a prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office. “After school and during breaks I watched my dad’s trials. I knew it was something that I wanted to do.”
A LAWYER’S HOURS
Geraghty admits she has put in a lot of hours over the past month, but it hasn’t fazed her so far. “I do work a lot of hours, but it’s not insane. It’s sort of expected and a lot of people here work a lot of hours. In the right type of environment it can be very beneficial. It’s a lot different than what we learned in law school.”
BEING IN JACKSONVILLE
Geraghty lives in the Miramar area.“I love being in Jacksonville. It’s probably the best city I’ve lived in. It’s a big city, but people are friendly like it is a small town. There are amazing cultural events.” Geraghty says practicing litigation in Jacksonville is better than many places. “Litigation can sometimes be very contentious. Jacksonville people practice with a high level of decorum and respect for each other. It makes litigation easier.”
SPORTS NUT
Geraghty is a fanatic about college football. She attended the Georgia-Florida game to root for her Gators. She also has been running since high school, where she was a member of the cross-country and track teams. “I’m training for the Thanksgiving half-marathon in Mandarin.”
COMING UP
Geraghty is looking forward to getting to know the city a little bit better. She wants to get involved in community issues that affect women and children, possibly Habitat for Humanity. “In terms of being active, Akerman Senterfitt is a good place to be. People here are very active. I’m looking forward to developing my practice with them.”
— by Bailey White