Iman Zekri Receives The Florida Bar Journal’s Excellence in Writing Award

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., is pleased to announce that Iman Zekri is the recipient of the 2020 Florida Bar Journal Excellence in Writing Award. Members of The Florida Bar Journal’s Editorial Board nominate outstanding submissions based on substance, style, and quality of writing and research. Zekri’s article, “Respectfully Dissenting: How Dissenting Opinions Shape the Law and Impact Collegiality Among Judges,” originally appeared in the September/October 2020 edition of the Florida Bar Journal.

Zekri shares:

“My love of research, writing, and oral advocacy are what inspired me to pursue a career in law. I became a lawyer to touch people’s lives, to solve problems whether big or small, and to challenge myself to think creatively in maneuvering complex legal situations. No matter what I write (be that a letter to a client, a brief to an appellate court, or a memo to a partner), I aim to ensure that anyone sitting in the audience who has taken the time to read my work product can easily understand the information presented without consulting some other source. The positive feedback I have received from attorneys and judges (statewide and out-of-state) about my article published in The Florida Bar Journal has been both an honor and incredibly humbling,” shares Zekri.

Zekri joined the firm in 2020 after serving as a member of the Summer Associate Class in 2019. Beth Vogelsang, stockholder and chair of Henderson Franklin’s Divorce, Marital and Family Law Department, shares:

“Iman has a keen ability to break down complicated legal issues and explain them in plain English. Her legal accomplishments and awards are just beginning, and we will all say ‘we knew her when.’ We are so pleased to have her on our team.”

While in law school, Zekri was an editor of the Florida Journal of International Law and a member of the Florida Moot Court Team. She competed in the Philadelphia Regional 2020 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, where Zekri was presented with a Best Advocate Award. She was inducted into the Order of Barristers in 2020 for her exceptional skill in oral advocacy and brief writing. Zekri also received book awards for being the top of her class in Appellate Advocacy, Legal Drafting, and Legal Research from UF Law.

Zekri is a native of Southwest Florida. She graduated from Riverdale High School’s International Baccalaureate program, Florida Gulf Coast University (B.A., summa cum laude), and the University of Florida Levin College of Law (J.D., cum laude). Zekri may be reached at iman.zekri@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1119.