Faculty & Leadership — Online Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)

The MLS online program blends the highest caliber of academics guided by expert faculty. They are rigorously trained to teach engaging law courses in an asynchronous, interactive environment developed with a design team trained in legal education. Small classes allow for lasting professional relationships with faculty and abundant opportunities to engage with them both inside your virtual classroom and outside of it.

Program Administration

Beth L. Haas

Associate Dean, Online Graduate Programs and Lecturer in Law

Beth L. Haas is Associate Dean for Online Graduate Education and a Lecturer in Law. She is a nationally recognized expert in online legal education and directs all strategy for developing exceptional and engaging online graduate programs. Prior to joining the School of Law, she served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Online Education and Associate Professor of Law at Drexel University’s Kline School of Law in Philadelphia. In her role at the Kline School of Law, Dean Haas developed, exclusively in-house, one of the largest and most rigorous online Master of Legal Studies (MLS) programs in the country, along with eight online post-baccalaureate graduate certificates and three online LL.M. degrees.

Lorrie Capps

Manager, Online Graduate Programs

Lorrie Capps is Manager for Online Graduate Programs at the School of Law, working with students in the Master of Legal Studies program from matriculation through graduation. She handles all aspects of the student life-cycle, including orientation, academic advising, and high-level administrative support. She also serves as the faculty liaison for the program.

Career Advancement Center

Danielle Joyce Irene Hall

Associate Director, Office of Career and Professional Development

Danielle Hall is an Associate Director in the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) at the School of Law. Danielle provides career advice and counseling to both Master of Legal Studies and JD students. Danielle obtained her B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018, and earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami in 2022. Prior to joining the OCPD, Danielle practiced at a Miami-based law firm in its commercial litigation department. Danielle remains active in her local community serving as a mentor for Big Brother Big Sister and enjoys traveling in her spare time.

Program Faculty

Amy Waller Apostol

Amy Waller Apostol is the Assistant General Counsel for Cyber and Emerging Technologies for Leídos, a Fortune 500 innovation company that provides technology solutions and solves critical national security and health challenges. Ms. Apostol’s portfolio includes training and advising corporate groups on regulatory information security requirements, negotiating contractual terms and conditions, AI governance, and physical and personnel security matters. In addition to her work in the private sector, Ms. Apostol has experience in both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government.

Jeremiah Blocker

Jeremiah Blocker is a partner in the Douglas Law Firm and his practice areas include real estate, land use, general corporate law, and local and state government law. His clients include several local city and municipal government entities in real estate and land use matters. A former criminal prosecutor, Mr. Blocker has extensive experience in land use with local government having served a four-year term as an elected County Commissioner and Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners in St. Johns County. Mr. Blocker previously served as an Air Force Advocate General officer and continues his military service part time as Judge Advocate officer and legal advisor in the Florida Army National Guard.

Anitha Cadambi

Anitha Cadambi serves as the Graduate & International Programs’ Senior Associate Director at the USC Gould School of Law. Before teaching full-time, Ms. Cadambi was a transactional attorney with Singh Law Group, where she advised clients on various business law issues. Ms. Cadambi’s clients have included startups, restaurants, healthcare agencies, educational ventures, and manufacturing companies. Previously, she was an attorney with Castilla Del Oro, a Washington, D.C., non-profit organization with offices in Panama and Spain. While at Castilla Del Oro, she advised on legal and business issues for the foundation’s projects in Panama, Spain, and the U.S.

James Castagnera

Dr. James Ottavio Castagnera, Esq. worked 10 years as a labor, employment, and intellectual-property attorney with Saul Ewing and 23 years as Associate Provost & Legal Counsel for Academic Affairs at Rider University, where in 2018 he received the university’s highest annual award for distinguished service. He previously was a full-time law professor at UT-Austin and Widener University Law School. Dr. Castagnera is the President of Dr. Jim’s One-Stop HR Shop, a freelance-writing/editing, webinar and training company in the HR space; CEO of the International Artificial Intelligence Association, a think tank dedicated to understanding the impacts of Generative AI, and an Adjunct Professor of Law in Drexel University’s Kline School of Law.

Joel Dion

Joel Dion is an Associate General Counsel at Zappos.com, an online footwear and apparel retailer, and the head of legal for Concepts International, a boutique designer and global retailer of streetwear and luxury apparel.

Mr. Dion overseas a team of paralegals and attorneys managing all company litigation and supporting a broad range of contract, commercial, technology, and regulatory matters, focusing on privacy, and accessibility compliance.

Daniel Faigus

Dan Faigus is the private funds specialist within the Division of Examinations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Dan is a member of the SEC’s Private Funds Unit (PFU), and a co-coordinator of the SEC’s Private Funds Specialized Working Group (400+ member group team focused on issues related to private funds). In this capacity, Mr. Faigus works on complex examinations and investigations of private fund advisers both within the Division of Examinations and the Division of Enforcement, assists on key policy matters, and regularly speaks at industry conferences and outreach events. Prior to joining the SEC, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP, primarily assisting the firm’s private equity, hedge fund and broker-dealer clients in navigating SEC and regulatory related matters.

Michelle Ann Gitlitz

Michelle Ann Gitlitz, Esq. is one of the world’s leading experts on cryptocurrencies, digital payments, blockchain, and related technologies. Michelle published her first book, Reimagining Payments: The Business Case for Digital Currencies in December 2023, offering strategic and tactical advice demonstrating the benefits and risks associated with digital currency payments. Michelle is a member of the Advisory Group of the Digital Dollar Project, a member of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission’s Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Subcommittee, and a mentor to cohorts in Cornell University’s Blockchain Accelerator, CU Blockchain.

William Gruitza

William Gruitza is Senior Counsel with Carlton Fields in the Healthcare Practice Group. As a certified compliance professional, he has extensive experience in the areas of enterprise level compliance program design, implementation and management, regulatory compliance, fraud, waste and abuse enforcement and ethics.

Beau Howard

Beau Howard has spent over a decade teaching courses in finance, business organizations, banking, and technology. A Research Analyst at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, he also brings extensive experience from previous positions at Debevoise & Plimpton, Paul Weiss, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. Mr. Howard teaches Introduction to Law and Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and the Law.

Rebecca L. Rakoski Isbill

Rebecca L. Rakoski Isbill is the co-founder and managing partner at XPAN Law Partners LLC. She reviews and analyzes legal obligations and creates tailored cybersecurity and data privacy programs, identifies and addresses data privacy and cybersecurity compliance gaps and any corresponding legal liabilities, and works to limit and mitigate regulatory exposure for her clients. She previously served as Acting Dean of Online Learning and Adjunct Professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Rebecca Kowalsky

Rebecca Kowalsky is a Compliance Officer and attorney with Ascension Health overseeing HIPAA, organized healthcare arrangements, creating and maintaining compliance and privacy policies, including defining standards and creating staff training. Ms. Kowalsky has previous experience participating in compliance investigations, agreement negotiations and audits.

Alyssa Lawrence

As Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer for the University of Miami Health System (UHealth), Alyssa Lawrence regularly works with data, regulatory and compliance issues and analysis, HIPAA, privacy policies and procedures, risk management, auditing, managed care, and healthcare oversight. Ms. Lawrence has previous experience advising numerous multiemployer, corporate, government and higher education clients.

Dr. Alexis Martinez

Dr. Alexis Martinez is currently the Executive Director of Equity & Compliance Programs and Interim Title IX Coordinator at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Martinez previously served in senior student affairs roles at several law schools, including Georgia State University and St. John’s University, responsible for academic matters, professional development, student discipline, orientation, and disability services. She previously served as the Dean of Students and Chief Conduct Officer at Nova Southeastern University.

Kiara Griggs Price

Kiara Griggs Price is an attorney, real estate developer and development company founder for Kasa Communities. A former Deputy Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Ms. Griggs Price specializes in public and affordable housing, zoning variances, property investment and management, and securing development funding.
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Timothy M. Ravich

Timothy M. Ravich is Senior Counsel at Tressler LLP and an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida, Department of Legal Studies. His practice is centered on aviation, product, and general civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on emerging regulatory areas such as unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”), advanced air mobility (“AAM”), and space law. He has provided expert testimony and advised public and private sector clients and stakeholders in these pioneering spaces, including U.S. presidential campaigns; members of the United States Congress; local, state, and international governments; law firms; airlines; and manufacturers. Mr. Ravich is the author of numerous articles and several books focused on the intersection of law and emerging technology.

Kathryn S. Reimann

Kathryn S. Reimann has extensive experience developing and leading compliance risk management programs and building high-performing compliance teams. She is a member of the Board of Directors of LendingClub Corp. (NYSE: LC), a Senior Advisor on compliance issues at the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman, an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, and an active Senior Fellow in NYU Law’s Program on Corporate Compliance & Enforcement (PCCE). She is also a regulatory advisor at Hummingbird RegTech. Ms. Reimann previously served as Chief Compliance Officer of both Citibank, NA and Citi’s Global Consumer Bank. Her focus is on corporate compliance and ethics (specifically including financial crimes and consumer protection programs), risk management, and related governance issues.

Andres Sawicki

Andres Sawicki is a Professor of Law and Director of the Business of Innovation, Law, and Technology Concentration at the University of Miami School of Law. He has expertise in the areas of copyright and patent law, intellectual property, technology, and the psychology of creativity and the difficulty of coordinating multiple creative collaborators.

Brian Sites

Brian Sites has substantial academic experience teaching legal research and writing, cyber law, and courses for the Multistate Bar Exam and the Florida Bar Exam. He formerly served in administrative roles in Academic Achievement and as Assistant Dean of Bar Preparation, Academic Success, and Experiential Learning.

Mara Smith-Kouba

As Senior Counsel, Regulatory for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Mara Smith-Kouba utilizes experience gained throughout her career in the areas of HIPAA compliance and practice, pharmaceutical litigation, healthcare contracts, enterprise risk mitigation, product strategy development, corporate compliance, and drafting, negotiating, and finalizing contracts.

Mark Stanisz

Mark J. Stanisz is Associate General Counsel and Corporate Ombudsman at PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. He counsels clients on matters involving federal, state, and local law compliance and supports the design and implementation of a wide variety of strategic litigation strategies, compliance plans, and risk management plans. Mr. Stanisz was formerly an Associate in the Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration practice group at Duane Morris LLP, where he represented colleges and universities across the country, among others, in employment-related litigation, government investigations, and agency proceedings. Prior to joining Duane Morris LLP, Mr. Stanisz practiced labor and employment law at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Ana Ramirez Toft-Nielsen

Ana Ramirez Toft-Nielsen has considerable legal experience delivering innovative strategies, learning solutions, instructional design, and professional development training to law firms and law schools. Ms. Toft-Nielsen has previously taught legal research and writing, advanced electronic legal research, and law practice technology to upper-level law school students.

Nazanin Tondravi

As System Director Regulatory Affairs for Memorial Healthcare System, Nazanin Tondravi has substantial experience handing regulation, compliance, and risk management issues. She has led special projects on healthcare management, regulatory affairs, and operational efficiency, as well as developed interactive instructional modules for continuous education of staff.

Marcia Narine Weldon

Marcia Narine Weldon is Lecturer in Law, Director of the Transactional Skills Program, and Faculty Coordinator of the Business Compliance & Sustainability Concentration and Transactional Law Concentration at the University of Miami School of Law. Her teaching and research areas include corporate governance, employment law, regulatory compliance, and corporate social responsibility.

Stephanie Young

Stephanie Young is the managing attorney of Florida Direct Title, a title company that handles residential and commercial real estate closings and refinance transactions and is the sole practitioner at her namesake law firm, focused on real estate and transactional business law. A large portion of her practice consists of representing developers and small businesses in land acquisitions, creative financing transactions, and commercial leases. Ms. Young has assisted many individual homeowners with everyday challenges associated with buying and owning property, including landlord-tenant issues, homeowners’ association disputes, and Fair Housing law violations. Previously, Stephanie was general counsel to a construction and development lender, where she drafted and negotiated loan documents, examined title conditions, and managed multimillion dollar complex real estate transactions in multiple states, and was an associate at a boutique real estate and commercial litigation firm providing counsel to real estate investors and professional athletes in land use matters, franchising, leasing, and other complex transactions.