About Us

CYNTHIA ELAINE TOLBERT, ESQUIRE
**Member of the Florida Bar, Member of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association and Member of the Marion County Bar, Former Member of the US District Court and Association of American Trial Lawyers _____________________________________________________________________
EDUCATION
Howard University School of Law, Washington, D.C., J.D., May 1998
Activities: International Law Society
Volunteer for Pro Bono Students of America/Capital States (Tutoring)
Phi Alpha Delta
Oakwood College, Huntsville, Alabama, B.A. in History, August 1993
Magna Cum Laude
Scholarship Award, 1989, 1990, 1991
Activities: Outstanding Reporter Award, 1989, 1990
Outstanding Assistant Editorial Award, 1991
Outstanding Employee Award, 1989, 1990
Study Buddy Tutor Award, 1989, 1990
Student Services Award for Senatorial Service, 1989-1990
Outstanding Campus Speaker, 1991
Outstanding Teacher and Counselor, 1992(South Korea)

Forest High School, Ocala, FL Diploma, May 1986
(Numerous awards and certificates for leadership, organizing community projects and acting as a facilitator at a legal ethics seminar- 1982-1988, 1993-1995, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011)
EXPERIENCE

Law Office of Cynthia Tolbert, P.A., Ocala, FL Nov. 2000 to present
CEO/Attorney. Organizes and maintains cooperate structure as well as oversees office staff and externs from three to five and policies and procedures. Coordinates all law office functions from intake of clients to trials for immigration, real property and family law cases, but also bankruptcy, dependency, child support and custody, social security and disability, construction, probate, appeals, corporate, personal injury, criminal, medical malpractice and labor law. Former contract attorney for Nations Direct and Wachovia for real estate closings and former contract attorney for the Guardian Ad Litem program representing the guardians and the State representing parents accused of abuse, respectively, while also in private practice.

Rasmussen College, Ocala, FL Oct. 2007 to Dec. "08
Instructor. Implemented a curriculum to teach public speaking, interpersonal commu-
cation skills and medical ethics which allowed approximately 20 students and professionals per class, usually two classes per semester, an opportunity to incorporate objectives taught from the lecture into their personal and professional lives.

Law Office of Louis Almasi, Ocala, FL (Part-time) Sept. 1999-Nov. 2000
Representative/Office manager/Paralegal. Coordinated all law office functions. Interviewed clients then drafted legal documents for bankruptcies, divorces, adoptions, immigration proceedings, wills, trusts, incorporations, ante-nuptial agreements, etc. Drafted pleadings, briefs and motions and represented clients in immigration proceedings.

Community Education Center (Part-time), Ocala, FL Sept. 1999-Dec. 2000
Teacher. Implemented a curriculum to teach Employability skills and GED courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Reading) to about 20 teenagers at varying intervals at the Marion County jail who were being sentenced as adults. Developed curriculum for and taught all levels of conversational English to approximately 20 production workers at varying intervals at ABB Water Meter Corporation.

Law Office of Miguell G. Mack, Ocala, FL (As needed only) Jan. 1999-Sept. 1999
Law Clerk, Investigator. **(As needed only) Defended a client in a dog bite case from in-take
to trial. Conducted research, investigated and responded to pleadings, motions and other papers.
Took notes and attended depositions and hearings.

State of Florida Department of Health, Ocala, FL Jan. 1999-May 1999
Paralegal Specialist. Managed caseload and court calendar for Chief Legal Counsel. Coordinated legal functions for health departments in five counties (Marion, Lake, Sumter,
Hernando and Citrus). Drafted legal documents such as contracts, subpoena objections and other pleadings for cases involving health, environmental, workers' compensation and labor and employment law.

International Center for Technological Assessment, Washington, D.C. July 1997-Dec. 1997
Law Clerk. *Conducted legal research and compiled information for publications on environmental issues such as noise pollution and Governmental CRADA’s.

Lado International College, Washington, D.C. July 1997-Sept. 1997
Teacher. *Taught several levels of ESOL classes to professionals and university students from
various nationalities. Developed curriculum to correspond to the various levels. Facilitated as a leader in both large and small group discussion of current events and politics and graded papers.

Mitterhoff and Henrichsen, Washington, D.C. Oct. 1996-May 1997
Law Clerk. *Conducted extensive legal research, drafted pleadings, motions and attorney
memoranda. Researched surety, bankruptcy and discovery issues and made telephone calls. Sent out correspondence and faxes to courthouses, law firms and law libraries.

CNN, Washington, D.C. Sept. 1996-Dec. 1996
Legal Extern for Burden of Proof television show. *Conducted extensive research and maintained files on legal issues which were covered on the show. Scheduled law students and professional guests on the show as well as answered phones and sorted mail for producers and directors.

Law Offices of Diana K. Simpson, P.A., Ocala, FL Summer 1996
Summer Intern. *Conducted legal research; wrote briefs, client letters and attorney memoranda.
Entered billing, created client directories, researched criminal, civil, dependency, juvenile, dissolution of marriage, probate, personal injury and contract issues.

World Language Institute, Kwangju, South Korea 1994
ESOL Teacher and Counselor. Developed curriculum for and taught English to university
students, professionals, children and housewives and acted as a counselor.

Silver River Marine Institute, Ocala, FL 1993
English/History/Drama Teacher and Counselor. Developed curriculum for and taught English, history and drama to approximately 24 students who were in alternative school on campus and in the afternoons at various locations in the community. Acted as a counselor to students, organized recreational activities, conducted home visits and submitted monthly reports of students' progress.

SDA Language Institutes, Kwangju, South Korea 1991-1992
ESOL Teacher and Counselor. Developed curriculum for and taught levels of
conversational English to approximately seven classes of about 154 university students, professionals and housewives per two month semester terms for seven terms. Organized social activities to promote good student-teacher relations and counseled students.
Oakwood College, Huntsville, AL Sept. 1989-May 1991
Special Resident's Assistant. Assumed all duties and responsibilities for the college deans. Was responsible for and supervised over four hundred upperclasswomen in our dorm. Signed campus leaves for residents, handled any and all disputes and incidents and wrote disciplinary letters on residents as needed, ensured that curfew was kept and no males nor unauthorized persons entered the main dorm area, oversaw the work of all dorm resident’s assistants
approximately nine, receptionists approximately 10, janitors approximately three,
maintenance personnel approximately two and security personnel approximately two
in the absence of the head and assistant dean over the weekend.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community Volunteer, Ocala, FL, S. Korea, Alabama and Washington, D.C. 1986-present
Conducted community street outreach in drug-infested and high crime areas to provide education to deter crime and drug usage and to promote healthful living. Recruited and organized volunteers to distribute literature and food, provide counseling and maintain a children’s hour with songs, stories and crafts in the inner city. Religious volunteer at the Marion County Jail working with the ladies and the juveniles being sentenced as adults from 1999-present.

Lobbied in Washington, DC 2002-05, 2008-10

Went to Washington, DC, as a representative lobbyist on behalf of the American Immigration Lawyers Association for legislation which would be fair for Americans and Immigrants.
Mission trip to Chiriqui Province, Panama 2007

Organized a young adult mission trip and aided in building a multi-purpose room for a church and in giving out clothes to those who were indigent.

Group Facilitator for the Family law division for the Fifth Judicial 2007
Circuit Ethics and Professionalism Seminar

Led a group of attorneys and judges from the Fifth Judicial Circuit
in a discussion of various legal fact patterns pertaining to family law.

Shiloh Build Ministry, Ocala, FL 2007

Established to aid hurricane and tornado victims in Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter
and Hernando Counties by removing debris, repairing and building homes and providing counseling.

Mission trip to Mississippi 2006

Organized a young adult mission trip and aided in removing debris and encouraging victims who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Marion County Code Enforcement Board, Ocala, FL 2003

Heard cases involving code violations and made decisions concerning the allegations and issued a ruling based on the evidence presented and the applicable code provision.

* The employment positions that have one asterisk next to them were periods of employment during law school.

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