Linette "Starr" Brookins is a first-generation lawyer, fourth generation Floridian, and a true servant leader. Ms. Brookins began her legal career representing the State of Florida in dependency matters, where she protected our most vulnerable citizens - children. Within 9 months of passing the Florida Bar, Ms. Brookins was promoted to the role of Senior Trial Attorney, and within 1.5 years, she served as Acting Supervising Attorney and Educational Attorney for the entire circuit, with Children’s Legal Services.
Currently, Ms. Brookins serves as a Hearing Officer with Hillsborough County, where she presides over cases and renders decisions, which primarily involve pro se litigants. Ms. Brookins is also a Senior Trial Attorney at Allstate, and a Teacher with LEADS, a program devoted to teaching teenagers about having healthy relationships with themselves and others.
A recent recipient of the Best Lawyers Ones to Watch, Ms. Brookins has received a panoply of accolades, spanning over 2 decades, for her exceptional leadership, commitment to public service, as well as her litigation expertise and appellate acumen. Ms. Brookins graduated from: Jefferson High School as Salutatorian of the Magnet Academies & Valedictorian of the Law & Criminal Justice Magnet Academy; The University of Tampa in three years with magna cum laude distinction; and The George Washington University Law School as a Presidential Merit Scholar.
Ms. Brookins remains actively involved in our community where she serves on numerous boards, bar associations, and community organizations, including the Athena Society where she is the Chair of the Young Women of Promise; the Justice Ministry at Bible Based Fellowship Church; the Human Relations Board; The Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee; The Guardian Ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay, where she serves as Secretary; Secretary of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers. She has also served as a Volunteer Judge with Teen Court for the past 11 years where she has presided over hundreds of juvenile delinquency jury trials and grand jury proceedings.
Ms. Brookins has first chaired over 85 bench trials, second chaired over 8 jury trials, served as appellate trial support in dozens of jury trials, and has presented oral argument to the 2nd District Court of Appeal. Ms. Brookins has authored and argued thousands of substantive and dispositive motions across the state of Florida; has argued before the Value Adjustment Board several times; has handled hundreds of appeals; and has represented thousands of clients, from individuals to both small and Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Brookins’ substantive trial expertise and appellate acumen, at both the state and federal level, spans over a myriad of legal areas, including dependency, criminal, and civil.
Ms. Brookins is a proud mother to her furbaby, Franklyn Theodore, as well as to "Rae" (her daughter who spent the majority of her childhood in foster care prior to being adopted by Linette at the age of 17) who enjoys running, taking classes on her Peloton Bike+ (she was previously a certified Spinning Instructor), traveling, and spending time with her beloved family.