Stacie J. Schmerling
Co-Business Unit Leader/Partner
Stacie J. Schmerling is a Co-Business Unit Leader/Partner in the firm’s Justice for Kids Division, Kelley Kronenberg’s national practice dedicated to providing legal services to abused, disabled, and catastrophically injured children harmed at home, in child welfare and foster care settings, group home settings and residential treatment centers, as well as all children harmed by the acts of others.
Prior to joining Talenfeld Law, Stacie was part of a legal team at Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky, Abate & Webb, P.A.’s foster care / disabled persons damages practice area headed by Howard Talenfeld.
Stacie earned her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, where she was a Goodwin Scholarship recipient.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Stacie dedicated the first ten years of her career to the protection of at-risk children. A former child protective investigator and child protective investigator supervisor for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Stacie supervised a six-person staff that investigated allegations of child abuse and neglect, provided intervention services to families at risk and brought serious cases of child abuse and neglect to the dependency court system. Prior to that, she facilitated safety and permanency for abused and neglected children in the state foster care system for the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services.
In addition to her years of experience as a child protective investigator and case manager, Stacie earned a Certification in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University. This post-Bachelor of Arts Certificate Program emphasized a multidisciplinary understanding of the child advocate’s role as seen through the disciplines of law, sociology and psychology.
Stacie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Law and Justice, magna cum laude, from Rowan University. She has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell® as having their highest AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating. Additionally, she has been recognized for her legal accomplishments in Florida Super Lawyers magazine, the Daily Business Review’s Rising Stars list, the South Florida Legal Guide, and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Up and Comers list.
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Civil Rights
- Foster Care
- Disabled Persons Damages
- Children’s Rights
Education
- Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, J.D., summa cum laude (2010)
- Montclair State University, Child Advocacy Certificate (2002)
- Rowan University, B.A., Law/Justice, magna cum laude (1998)
Bar Admissions
- Florida Bar
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Professional Associations
- Broward County Bar Association
- The Public Interest Law Section of The Florida Bar
- Florida’s Children First Advisory Board (2014)
Awards
- AV Preeminent® Peer Rated Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2023-2024)
- South Florida Legal Guide “Top Lawyers” List (2020-2022)
- Florida Super Lawyers – Rising Stars List (2018-2020)
- Daily Business Review Rising Stars (2015)
- Florida Children’s First – Tracey McPharlin Award “Unsung Hero” (2015)
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite “Up and Comers” (2014)
- Child Investigative Supervisor Employee of the Month, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Child Protective Investigations Section (May 2007)
- Child Protective Investigator Employee of the Month, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Child Protective Investigations Section (June 2004)
Publications
- Florida Bar Examination Study Guide and Selected Answers, March 2011; Stacie’s essay on Real Property from the July 2010 Florida Bar Exam was selected for publication.
- Combating the “Baby Dumping” Epidemic: A Look at Florida’s Safe Haven Law, 33 Nova L. Rev. 245 (Fall 2008)
Florida Cities Served To Protect The Rights of Disabled Children:
Fort Lauderdale Disabled Child Law Firm
Jacksonville Disabled Child Law Firm
Orlando Disabled Child Law Firm
West Palm Disabled Child Law Firm
Daytona Disabled Child Law Firm