2023 Inductees

Justice James E. Alderman (1936-2021)

Class of 1961

A sixth-generation Floridian, Alderman graduated from UF Law in 1961 and returned to Fort Pierce to practice law before ascending through every level of the state judiciary as a judge. Governor Askew elevated Alderman from the Fourth DCA to the Florida Supreme Court in 1978, where he served until 1985, including two years as Chief Justice.

After retirement, Alderman returned to the family ranch and served as the President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.

Professor Fletcher N. Baldwin Jr. (1933-2020)

A graduate of UGA and Yale, Baldwin was a beloved professor at UF Law for five decades. He joined the faculty in 1962 and taught continuously in international law,  constitutional law, and criminal procedure until he assumed emeritus status in 2008.

Baldwin’s scholarship expertise in international financial crimes was renowned and made him a highly respected consultant to governments throughout the world, in particular on the African continent.

Melinda Penney Gamot (1954-2021)

Class of 1978

After graduating from UF Law with honors in 1978, Gamot joined Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Hazouri & Roth, where she followed Judge Rosemary Barkett as the second female lawyer to join the nationally respected trial law firm. In 1999, she founded Gamot Law Firm with her husband and daughter and spent the remainder of her career practicing marital and family law and mediating complex estate issues.

She was board certified for almost thirty years and a leader in local and state bar activities.

Richard M. Robinson (1940-2022)

Class of 1966

Not long after graduating from UF Law in 1966, Robinson joined three other young attorneys and founded Gray Robinson in 1970. He served as shareholder of the firm’s Orlando and Gainesville offices where he practiced tax, corporate, and government finance law.

The firm grew to more than 300 attorneys in offices throughout Florida under Robinson’s leadership, and he was consistently considered one of the best lawyers in America throughout his career.

Douglas A. Wright (1960-2021)

JD class of 1986
LLM class of 1987

Wright earned his juris doctor with honors in 1986 and his LLM in Taxation in 1987. He spent his entire career at Holland & Knight LLP specializing in corporate law and tax planning and litigation. He served in senior management positions for twenty years and as the firm’s Operations and Finance partner for nearly a decade.

Wright was also a longtime supporter of UF’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service and a member of its Advisory Council from 2015 until 2021.