PRESIDENTKaren M. Montas
Karen Montas is a mother, wife, lawyer and advocate for the less fortunate. She is the managing partner of Johnson & Montas, PA, a personal injury law firm in Brevard County, Florida. Karen is active in several organizations, including: The Children’s Hunger Project; Love INC.; the Brevard Cultural Alliance and the League of Extraordinary Women for weVenture (formerly the Women’s Business Center at FIT). She and her family are active members of LifePoint Church in Palm Bay and can be found on/at/or near the beach during any free time.
SecretaryLesley-Anne Marks
Lesley-Anne Marks is a senior associate at GrayRobinson, P.A.’s Melbourne office. Her areas of practice focus on civil and family law litigation, as well as appellate advocacy. Prior to joining GrayRobinson, Ms. Marks worked as an appellate law clerk for the Honorable Kerry I. Evander at Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal. Ms. Marks earned her Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law. Ms. Marks also graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations.
In addition to serving as BCAWL’s secretary, Ms. Marks is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. In her free time Ms. Marks enjoys spending time outdoors with her fiancé, traveling, and reading.
TREASURERJennifer Kerwin
Jennifer Kerwin is an Assitant Public Defender in Viera handling felony criminal litigation up to and including homicides and other life felonies. In addition to serving as the BCAWL treasurer, Ms. Kerwin serves as the membership chair/webmaster of the Brevard Chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. In 2018 Ms. Kerwin received the James T. Miller Scholar Award from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense lawyers for her appellate work challenging unconstitutional so-called “Nebbia Holds.”
Ms. Kerwin earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida where she earned a Family Law Certificate as well as serving as the Intramural Chair of the Florida Moot Court and on the Student Recruitment Team. Ms. Kerwin also graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and History and a minor in Psychology.
FAWL REPRESENTATIVETara Couture
Tara C. Couture is the founding attorney of Couture Law P.A. Ms. Couture graduated with honors from the University of California San Diego, then obtained her law degree from one of the most prestigious schools in California, the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1999. Ms. Couture is licensed to practice law in Florida and California. Ms. Couture served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles prior to starting her own law firm. In addition to successfully representing clients in courts throughout Florida and California, she has also successfully negotiated, settled and litigated various types of legal matters, including, but not limited to, serious personal injury claims, wrongful death cases, car accident claims, truck & big rig accident claims and bus accident claims. Ms. Couture is a member of the Brevard County Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the State Bar of California, the Brevard County Association of Women’s Lawyers, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
ProgrammingJessica Lynn Silva, Esquire
Jessica practices as an attorney in the areas of Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate Administration, Trust Administration, and Elder Law Medicaid Planning. In addition, Jessica is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified County Mediator mediating Circuit Civil, County Civil, and Family Law cases. Prior to starting her own firm, Law Office of Jessica Lynn Silva, PLLC, Jessica was an Estate Planning and Probate Attorney with a local law firm.
Before practicing law, Jessica garnered legal experience through her previous roles as Judicial Assistant to a local 18th Judicial Circuit County Court Judge, and as a Civil Litigation Paralegal, Real Estate Paralegal, Certified Notary Signing Agent, Real Estate Agent, Florida Mortgage Loan Originator, Real Estate Investor and Property Manager.
Jessica was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (Eglin AFB). However, she grew up traveling the United States and overseas as the daughter of a military family. She then married a (now retired) United States Air Force Officer from Hawaii, and traveled the United States again, this time as a military wife. She and her husband are parents to their three children; two boys and a girl (22, 17 & 13). Jessica enjoys volunteering at her church and within the community. She also enjoys quality time with her family and friends, kayaking, boating, listening to podcasts, interior decorating, reading, modeling and being a voiceover artist.
SponsorshipRobin Cornell
Robin graduated in the top ten of her law school, Stetson University College of Law. She has been a resident of Brevard County since attending the Florida Institute of Technology where she graduated with high honors in the field of psychology. She makes Cocoa Beach her home having raised her family on the beaches of the Space Coast. Her Estate Planning practice is located in Cocoa Beach with an emphasis on educating her clients in the legal process. Her focus is placed on her client and client goals and will take the time to listen and ask questions to ascertain those goals and special concerns.
Robin is active in her community and places special importance on supporting organizations with an emphasis on women and children’s health, care and development.
MEMBERSHIPEve A. Bouchard
Attorney Eve A. Bouchard is a proud graduate of the University of Florida, Levin College of Law. Her practice of law focuses primarily on estate planning, estate litigation, probate, guardianship, and trust administration. She has dedicated her life to serving and protecting the best interests of her clients. She is a published co-author of Politics-Proof Asset Protection and Estate Planning – Shield Yourself from the Legal and Financial Chaos of 21st Century Politics. Attorney Bouchard is a contributing author to Litigation Under Florida Probate Code, Eleventh Edition, published by The Florida Bar.
Attorney Bouchard serves as an Attorney Advisor for Lawyers Advising Lawyers, a Division of The Florida Bar, providing legal advice to other Florida Bar attorneys of in the areas of probate law, trust law and estate planning. Attorney Bouchard also serves on the Executive Counsel of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, which is dedicated to serving the citizens of the State of Florida. She is a committee member for the following committees for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar: Estate & Trust Tax Law Committee, Elective Share Committee, and Asset Protection Committee. She has been practicing law for over fourteen years.
PUBLIC RELATIONSTiffany Jones
Tiffany Jones focuses her practice on civil and business litigation. Tiffany assists businesses and individual clients with a wide range of legal matters. Her legal experience includes issues related to business agreements, compliance, employment contracts, worker’s compensation, health care, medical malpractice, products liability, and numerous other civil issues.
When Tiffany recently relocated to Florida’s Space Coast, she joined the Melbourne office of Widerman Malek. Her skills, experience and client service make her an essential member of the firm’s litigation team. Prior to joining Widerman Malek, Tiffany was a judicial staff attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. Throughout law school, she served as a law clerk for a firm in Alabama, as well as for the Hoover Municipal Court and Legal Services of Alabama (Birmingham). While in school, Tiffany received multiple honors and awards. Her biggest reward now is being in a position to effect change and help solve problems for those who need assistance with legal issues.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTAlexandrea Simser
Alexandrea R. Simser is a corporate and intellectual property attorney in the Melbourne office of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. Ms. Simser grew up in Cocoa Beach and attended Florida State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science. She received her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law.
AdvisorRachel (McCreary) Delgado
Rachel McCreary is an associate in Wicker Smith’s Melbourne office handling medical malpractice, automotive, civil litigation, premises liability, product liability, construction, product liability and real estate litigation. Prior to joining Wicker Smith, Ms. McCreary worked as a trial lawyer at a personal injury firm where she handled catastrophic injury, wrongful death, negligent security, liquor liability, automobile accidents and premises liability.
Ms. McCreary earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a major in Microbiology & Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology.
ADVISORDiane Baccus Horsley
Diane Baccus Horsley manages her own law firm. Her practice areas are: Family Law, Probate, Estate Planning, and Civil Law
Ms. Baccus Horsley earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida.
ADVISORKyle Lieneck
Kyle Lieneck received her Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University with a concentration in Health Law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of South Florida.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORChristel Lawrence
Christel Lawrence is a current 3L at Barry University School of Law. She received her Bachelors of Science in political science and sociology from Florida State University.
PUBLICATIONS CO-DIRECTORStefanie Matthews
Stefanie is a senior attorney with Children’s Legal Service for the Florida Department of Children and Families where she represents the Department in Dependency Proceedings. Prior to her work with Children’s Legal Service, Stefanie was an assistant public defender in the 20th Judicial Circuit where she represented persons accused of crimes in both Misdemeanor and Felony Court. Stefanie serves as the co-chair of BCAWL Publications. She is also a member of the Vassar B. Carlton American Inn of Court, the Junior League of South Brevard, and the Vice President of Communications for the Brevard County Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband and fur babies, and cheering on the UCF Knights!
