Attorney Profile

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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