Ita Neymotin earns Capital University Law School’s Distinguished Alumnus award

Ita Neymotin has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award by Capital University Law School. In celebration of that prestigious honor, she was also presented the Commissioner’s Award by the Commissioner of Franklin County, Ohio. Neymotin is Regional Counsel with the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel of the Second District Court of Appeal Region of Florida.

The Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award is given annually to “a Capital University Law School JD (Juris Doctor) alumnus/alumna who has made significant achievements in his/her legal occupation and has made notable contributions to the legal profession, community and the Law School through his/her activities and accomplishments.” Neymotin was presented the award at a special Alumni Recognition Luncheon on April 17, 2015. The Franklin County Commissioner’s Award was presented to Neymotin for, among other reasons, her tireless efforts to preserve clients’ constitutional rights while making the Second DCA Regional Counsel office one of the most effective in the state of Florida.

Neymotin is the youngest attorney, and the first woman, appointed as Regional Counsel in the state of Florida. In that position she is responsible for the 14 counties that make up the Second DCA Region, managing 140 attorneys and support staff with an annual budget that exceeds $9 million. The Regional Counsel defends parties when the Public Defender’s office has a conflict in a case. The office also represents indigent clients in juvenile dependency as well as certain types of civil cases.

In addition, Neymotin was selected to present the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Legislative Priorities to the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee on behalf of the five regional counsels across the state. While protecting clients’ constitutional rights, Neymotin has greatly streamlined operations of the Regional Counsel. Her goal is to make the office one of the most fiscally responsible, efficient and innovative agencies in the state.

Before her appointment by Governor Rick Scott in 2011, Neymotin was managing partner of Kremenchuker Law Group. Previously, she served as chief for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit for three years. Before that, she served for several years with the Office of the Public Defender for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit and with the circuit’s Office of the State Attorney.

Neymotin developed her passion for the protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution as a child immigrating to this country with her family to escape repression in the Soviet Union. Along with attorney Frank Abernathy, nephew to Martin Luther King, Jr. confidant, Ralph Abernathy, Neymotin returned to the former USSR upon the Ukrainian government’s invitation to consult on how it could better protect the civil liberties of the Ukrainian people.

Neymotin has a B.A. in English from The Ohio State University, and graduated from law school with honors. She then went on to complete an advanced degree, a Master of Laws in Business. She gives back to the community by teaching English to immigrants. She is also volunteering to teach Advanced Florida Criminal Law and Procedure class Ave Maria Law School.

Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel
Second District Court of Appeal Region, Florida

In 2011, Ita Neymotin was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to lead The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel (OCCCRC) of the Second District Court of Appeal Region of Florida. It is one of five regional counsel offices created by the legislature in 2007 to provide legal representation to indigent persons in criminal cases in which the court grants the Public Defender’s motion to withdraw and appoints the OCCRC, in dependency and civil cases, and certain statutorily authorized civil commitment proceedings. OCCCRC also handles appeals and post conviction motions. As noted under Statute 27.511, the Florida Legislature states “it is the intent of the Legislature to provide adequate representation in a fiscally sound manner, while safeguarding constitutional principles.” Over the last few years, the Regional Counsel offices have saved Florida taxpayers millions of dollars while providing quality representation to its clients. For more information visit flrc2.org.