by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
One acceptance led to another.
Lee-Ford Tritt, middle son of Arnold Tritt Sr., had a successful law career with one of the leading law firms in the world, Davis Polk & Wardwell, but he starting “adjuncting” at Pace University School of Law and found a new direction for his career.
“I got hooked,” said Tritt, the recently crowned “Professor of the Year” at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. “I loved teaching and advising students on a career, so I looked into the job market and received a lot of offers.”
Then he got the call that would make a proud father’s, who is also a UF graduate, pulse quicken.
“I got a call from the Dean of the University of Florida Law School and he pitched me like a person that wasn’t from Florida,” said Tritt. “He starting telling me about the cultural mecca in Gainesville and the great city of Jacksonville, which I knew about from growing up there.”
Tritt talked to his father about what he should ask for as part of his compensation package and the answer was simple, “football tickets.”
“I asked Dean Jerry if football tickets were a possibility of conditions of employment,” said Tritt. “He wished me well in my job search because season tickets weren’t something he could offer.”
Despite the setback in negotiations, Tritt joined the University of Florida staff in 2005 and teaches “Estates & Trusts, Fiduciary Administration, Advanced Topics in Estates & Trusts and Estate Planning.” He quickly became known as a professor that was available to students whenever and wherever they needed him.
“One memory that comes to mind happened not long after Lee-Ford was here,” said UF Law School Dean Robert Jerry. “I saw him outside of the building with his case law book sitting on top of a trash receptacle and he was out there interacting with students, answering questions.”
Jerry admires the availability Tritt provides students.
“He has a willingness to help students anywhere and anytime,” said Jerry.
That dedication was noticed by the law school student body, which includes about 1,300 students combined in the J.D. and L.L.M. programs, and they elected him the “Law School Professor of the Year.”
“I didn’t know about the award before the Barristers Ball, the students spring event,” said Tritt, “but I was given some winks and nudges that I should attend, shave and dress nice.”
Along with a plaque and $500 stipend, Tritt was given a king’s crown and sash to wear as symbols of his achievement.
“The students are great here,” said Tritt. “They gave me a standing ovation when I went into class the next day.”
The stipend will probably be used to pay for the annual alumni/students kickball game Tritt organizes each year.
“The event with the games and after party usually costs about $2,000,” said Tritt, “so I’ll use the stipend to help pay for that.”
Tritt is on a tenure track at the college and admits that he has found his “true calling” in the classroom.
The job brought Tritt closer to his family and he has enjoyed seeing family and work intertwine.
“My older brother, Arnold, comes to the school to recruit students and sponsors an ice cream social and my parents come down to watch athletic events,” said Tritt. “It’s been a phenomenal synergy between family and school.”
Family, a good job that he loves, what more could anyone want?
“(Professor of the Year) won’t get Lee-Ford season football tickets,” said Jerry jokingly. “I’m sure the award will be something he will be proud of for years to come.”
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