Always Within Reach

Lorraine Robinson is a Clearwater native. Her friends call her “Lorrie” and she invites you to as well! Lorrie’s interest in trial law surfaced very early in her life when, at 12 years of age, she read an exciting biography about early 20th-century criminal defense attorney Earl Rodgers. He was the inspiration for the fictional character of lawyer Perry Mason in a famous series of detective novels written by Earle Stanley Gardner. The stories formed the basis for a very popular TV series in the 1960s and later that showcased the talents of the great Perry Mason! Something about the fight for justice in a court of law resonated in Lorrie at that early age. She decided she was going to be a lawyer and to her, that meant a “trial lawyer.” For over twenty years, Lorrie has been recognized by the Florida Bar as a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney, a distinction held by a very small percentage of attorneys, in recognition of her knowledge and experience in civil trial practice. Her early interest was confirmed and deepened as she took her first speech and debate class; later participating on debate teams throughout her high school and college years, loving every minute of it! Her most formative experiences in law school occurred during the summer of 1977 when she clerked with the Clearwater State Attorney’s office and in 1978 when she interned with the Public Defender’s office in West Palm Beach. Within a week after her graduation from law school in March 1979, she returned as a lawyer to start work at the Public Defender’s office in West Palm Beach. It was there she learned the ropes of trial practice over the course of the following 10 years. Over those years, she tried well over 100 serious felony cases before Palm Beach County juries including several first-degree murder trials. Toward the end of her career as an Assistant Public Defender, she served as Chief of Felonies, supervising approximately 25 felony attorneys while continuing to handle and try serious cases that needed her attention.