John Stemberger is an AV Rated Orlando attorney who has also been a legal and policy advocate for over 35 years. As a native Floridian, he attended Florida State University, where he studied political science and philosophy before obtaining a Juris Doctorate of Law at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. In 1987, he founded the Institute for Conservative Studies (ICS) as a permanent student-led think-tank at Florida State University.
After legislative internships in both the Florida House and Senate, Stemberger worked with attorney Ken Connor in Tallahassee for several years and then served as the lobbyist for Florida Right to Life with Connor in 1989. Stemberger has a unique understanding of law, government, and the media from his extensive political background, having served as an advisor to state, federal, and presidential campaigns. In 1992, he was appointed as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Florida during the final campaign of former President George H. W. Bush.
Stemberger has been quoted hundreds of times in news and media sources as an expert on law, policy, culture, and politics, including in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, The Economist, and National Public Radio. In addition, his legal, political and non-profit advocacy work has appeared on ABC News Nightline, Fox News, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and Court TV. Starting in 2001, Florida Governor Jeb Bush twice appointed Stemberger to the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he served for eight years screening and recommending new judge candidates in Central Florida. In 2017, the Speaker of the House appointed him to serve on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. This historic body meets only once every 20 years to propose amendments to the state constitution.
A sought-after speaker around the country, John Stemberger is also a member of the Council for National Policy, and in a feature article on his work, the Miami Herald called him, “One of the most interesting and influential people you’ve never heard of.” In 2009, Orlando Magazine named him one of the top 50 most powerful people in Central Florida. In 2018, Florida Trend Magazine named him one of the top 500 most influential business leaders in Florida. In 2021, City & State News Agency Named Stemberger in the top 100 most influential political players in Florida.
In addition to the private practice of law, in 2004 Stemberger became the President of the Florida Family Policy Council (FFPC). Since starting the FFPC, he served as Chairman of the successful campaign to amend Florida’s Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, which 61.9% of Florida voters adopted in 2008. He also launched the “Florida Judicial Accountability Project” by filing a federal lawsuit against the Florida Bar and Judicial Qualifications Commission to strike down Florida’s gag order which prohibits judicial candidates from announcing their views on issues during their campaigns, and created a statewide judicial voter guide.
In 2009, Stemberger’s law firm received international media attention for representing Rifqa Bary, the Muslim teenager from Columbus, Ohio, who fled to Orlando, Florida, after she was threatened with being killed by her father for not renouncing her faith after her conversion from Islam to Christianity was discovered.
As an Eagle Scout and former Scoutmaster, John was the primary founder of Trail Life USA, a Christian scouting movement for boys which started in 2014 and now has around 40,000 members in over 900 troops chartered in all 50 states.
Finally, for the last fifteen years Attorney Stemberger has served as Chairman of the Board for WIN Family Services in Baltimore, MD. WIN is a large child welfare agency that provides foster care, wrap-around support services, drug abuse counseling, and other child and family support-related services.
EDUCATION
Juris Doctorate of Law, Cumberland School of Law, Samford University; Birmingham, Alabama
Honors and Activities
First Place, National Moot Court Competition of Duke University; The Rabbi Seymour Seigel Memorial Competition on Legal Ethics
Finalist, Robert Donworth Appellate Argument Competition
Finalist, Gordon Saad Moot Court Competition
Order of the Barrister
Who’s Who Among American Law Students
Member, Mock Trial Advocacy Board
Member, Henry Upson Sims Moot Court Board
President, Christian Legal Society
Chairman, Cordell Hull Speakers Forum, Student Bar Association
Bachelor of Science, Political Science/Philosophy, Florida State University; Tallahassee, Florida
Honors and Activities
First Speaker Award, Southeastern CEDA Debate Circuit, FSU Forensics Team
Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges
Gold Key Leadership Scholarship award
President, FSU College Republicans
Founder and President, FSU Institute for Conservative Studies
State Supervisor of Elections Scholarship
Associate of Arts, Public Administration, Daytona Beach Community College
Honors and Activities
State President, Florida Junior Colleges Student Government Association (FJCSGA)
Student Body President, Daytona Beach Community College
Congressman Claude Pepper State Leadership Award
University of Florida Blue Key Leadership Award
Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges
Outstanding Young Men of America; U.S. Jaycees
Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Fraternity
Rotary Club International, Area Scholarship
Architectural Drafting Certification, Daytona Beach Community College, 1982
United States Air Force JROTC, Completed three year program, Florida 42nd Squadron Daytona Beach, 1980
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Civil Trial Lawyer/ Owner, Law Offices of John Stemberger, P.A., Orlando, Florida, 1997-Present
Civil Trial Lawyer, Heindl & Stemberger, Attorneys and Counselors at Law, 1997
Civil Trial Lawyer, Billings, Cunningham, Morgan & Boatwright, Orlando, Florida, 1994-1997
Commercial Litigation Attorney, Pennington & Haben, P.A., Tallahassee, Florida, 1993-1994
Political Director, Republican Party of Florida, 1992-1993
Executive Political Assistant, Kenneth L. Connor, Principal, Connor & Associates, P.A. 1990-1992
Judicial Externship, Judge James Hard, Jefferson County Criminal Court, Alabama, 1990
Law Clerk, Kenneth L. Connor and Associates, P.A., Tallahassee, Florida, 1989-1991
Lobbyist, Florida Right to Life, 1988
Legislative Internship, Representative David Troxler, Florida House of Representatives, 1987
Legislative Internship, Senate Republican Office, Senator Richard Langley, Minority Leader, 1986
State President, Florida Junior Colleges Student Government Association. 1994-1995
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AV
Rated AV by Martindale Hubble, 2004
Commissioner, Florida Constitution Revision Commission, 2017-2018
Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2002
Member, Florida Judicial Nominating Commission, 2017-2018
Member, Judicial Nominating Commission, Ninth Judicial Circuit, 2001 to 2009
Chairman, Judicial Nominating Commission, Ninth Judicial Circuit, 2002 to 2003
Barrister Member, First Central Florida Inns of Court, Orlando Chapter
Admitted, United States Supreme Court
Admitted, United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal
Admitted, United States Federal Court- Middle District of Florida
Admitted, Florida Bar
Member, Christian Legal Society
Member, Federalists Society
Member, Orange County Bar Association
Member, Volusia County Bar Association
Allied Lawyer, Alliance Defending Freedom
REPORTED CASES
Marsh v. Valyou, 940 So. 2d 1125 (Fla. 2006)
Konikov v. Orange County, No. 04-10481, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 10176, June 3, 2005.
Jacobs et al., v. The Seminole County Canvassing Board, et al., 773 So. 2d 517 (Fla. 2000)
Taylor v. Martin County Canvassing Board, 773 So. 2d 517 (Fla. 2000)
Yeung v. Saylor, ___ So.2d ___ (Fla. App. 2 Dist. 1998)
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. ISsom, 681 So.2d 1170 (Fla. App. 5 Dist. 1996)
Ferrari N.. AM. v. Coral Gables, 661 So.2d 1278 (Fla. App. 1 Dist. 1995)
CIVIC / COMMUNITY
President and General Counsel, Florida Family Policy Council, Inc, 2004 to Present
Orange County Legal Aid, Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem, 1995 to 2008
Chairman of the Board, WIN Family Services, Baltimore, MD, 2013 to Present
Chairman of the Board, Trail Life USA, Belton, South Carolina, 2013 to Present
Member, Metro Life Church, 1985 to Present
Precinct Committeeman, Leon County Republican Executive Committee, 1991-1993
Boy Scouts of America, Central Florida Council Eagle Scout Advancement Review Board, 1995
Eagle Scout Award, 1980
Vigil Honor Member, Order of the Arrow, 1981
Assistant Scoutmaster, 1981-1984
United Way Representative, BSA, 1984
Seven Step Society-Sibling Support Group- Straight, Inc. Drug Rehab. St. Petersburg 1984-85
Member, Chemical People, Daytona Beach Community Drug Abuse Task Force, 1983
American Red Cross, Campus Blood Drive Coordinator, 1982-84
Easter Seals Society, Gala Auction Staff, 1983-85
Halifax Urban Ministries, Food Collection, 1983-85
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