President-elect Donald J. Trump has chosen former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi ’90 for the role of United States Attorney General. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bondi will assume the top law enforcement role in the nation.
Bondi’s nomination follows decades of service within the legal profession. In 2010, the Tampa native was the first female to be elected Florida attorney general. She was reelected in 2014. Notable initiatives during her two terms include aggressive efforts to fight the opioid crisis, pursuing action against BP in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, and helping bring forth the National Mortgage Settlement, which resulted in $56 billion in relief to consumers across the nation.
For these achievements and more, the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association honored Bondi with its 2019 Ben Willard Award, which recognizes “alumni who have expended extra efforts to prevail for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, and whose humanitarian achievements have brought distinction to themselves and Stetson Law.”
“I’m beyond humbled and do not feel deserving of this great honor because so many Stetson Law graduates do so much for Florida and our country,” Bondi said at the time. “I was a career prosecutor and became Attorney General to help people. My Stetson Law professors had a tremendous impact on my career goals and I learned the value of giving back and have tried to make a small impact on the world.”
On May 18, 2013, Bondi spoke at the spring commencement ceremony, telling the graduates, “As Florida’s first female attorney general, I’m here to tell you that you can do anything you want to do, and don’t let anyone stand in your way.”
A fourth-generation Floridian, Bondi earned her juris doctor from Stetson Law in 1990. Prior to this, she earned her bachelor’s in criminal justice from the University of Florida.
Prior to her election to statewide office in 2010, Bondi worked in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor for 18 years.
Since being term-limited from the role of Florida attorney general and leaving office in 2019, she has been working for Ballard Partners, where she chairs the firm’s Corporate Regulatory Compliance Practice.
If confirmed, Bondi would be the first Stetson Law alum to serve in the role of United States Attorney General.
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