Kafi D Kennedy Swanson

Academic Success and Bar Preparation

SPRING 2025 Office Hours

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https://famu.zoom.us/j/99141418650

Monday 9:30AM – 11:30AM
Tuesday 7:30PM – 9:30PM*
Thursday 9:00AM – 11:00AM
Additional meeting times available upon request

Introduction to Analytical Skills II IAS 6782 3812 304 W 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM 386
Introduction to Analytical Skills II IAS 6782 3888 308 W 7:40 PM – 8:55 PM 385

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Kafi D. Kennedy Swanson is an attorney who has practiced for sixteen years in the Orlando Area. She attended Florida A&M University where she was in the School of Business and Industry. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and her Master of Business Administration in Finance. Kafi then continued her education at the University of Miami (UM), Miller School of Law. She graduated with her Juris Doctor in May 2008.

As an attorney Kafi has worked as an Assistant Public Defender and an Assistant State Attorney. She was the owner of The KDKS Law Firm, P.A., and has served as Of Counsel at HAWM Law, PLLC. Attorney Kennedy Swanson has handled a variety of practice areas including criminal, civil, family law, and traffic. Kafi’s experience has included handing over 40 jury trials and over 5000 cases. She has also handled various motions, violations of probation, sentences, and appeals. She has prosecuted cases as well as defended clients.

Kafi is the President of the Orange County Bar Foundation. She has also served as a Board Member for the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Vice Chair of a Grievance Committee for The Florida Bar, Past President of the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, and has been an active participant with the Orange County Bar Association.

Attorney Kennedy Swanson is married with two young children.

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• Reading
• Traveling
• FAMU
• Criminal Law
  

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• FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF LAW, Orlando, FL
  Visiting Professor, May 2024 – Current; Adjunct Professor June 2017 – December 2018,
  Academic Success and Bar Preparation Department. Teaching Introduction to Analytical Skills. Assisting students with Bar Preparation. Taught students trial advocacy. Including motion practice, direct and cross examination, opening and closing statements. Trained students on how to introduce evidence and impeach witnesses. Judged end of the semester trial at the Orange County courthouse.
  
  
• HAVING AN ATTORNEY WHEN IT MATTERS, Orlando, FL
  Of Counsel, March 2024-Current; December 2015-May 2018
  Conduced client consults related to criminal, family, and personal injury cases. Drafted motions including to suppress, bond, and modification. Handled court hearings including bond motions, pretrial conference, status hearings and trials. Trained staff on office procedures and court procedures.
  
  
• OFFICE OF THE STATE ATTORNEY, NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, Orlando & Kissimmee, FL
  Assistant State Attorney, June 2018 – February 2024
  Director of Pre Trial Diversion (PTD) and Chief of the Booking Release Center. Created training manuals on Initial Ap-pearances and PTD. Managed office personnel including performance reviews, disciplinary actions, team building activ-ities, training, and coverage of dockets. Made charging decisions for misdemeanor and felony cases. Managed a trial division solo. Revamped diversion program to become less paper driven. Fostered better relationships with our commu-nity partners including the Department of Corrections and County Corrections based on communication and transparen-cy. Conducted motions, plea, bond, and other court hearings. Handled post-conviction cases.
  
  
• THE KDKS LAW FIRM, P.A., Orlando, FL
  Partner, November 2015- May 2018
  Handled initial client consults related to Family Law, Criminal Law, and Personal Injury. Conducted negotiations with the Office of the State Attorney related to plea offers. Conducted various hearings in court. Managed a solo firm includ-ing accounting and marketing. Handled jury trials, injunction hearings, and motion practice.
  
  
• OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, Orlando, FL
  Assistant Public Defender, August 2008 – November 2015
  Conducted initial client interviews after arrest. Represented clients during initial appearances in court. Created training manual on How to Conduct Initial Appearances and In Jail Arraignments. Created a training manual on How to be a Successful County Court Attorney. Negotiated plea offers with State Attorneys. Conducted jury and bench trials. Wrote and argued a variety of motions. Researched and wrote appellate briefs. Conducted witness and victim examinations during various court proceedings. Represented clients during violation of probation hearings and pleas.
  
  
• MIAMI-DADE STATE ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, Miami, FL
  Certified Legal Intern, June – July 2007
  Reviewed files and prepared plea sheets based on the files. Second chaired a jury trial. Researched various issues for motions before the court. Presented motions for continuance. Conducted victim and witness interviews. Called calen-dar in front of numerous judges. Learned to operate the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS).
  
  
• UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, Miami, FL
  Judicial Intern, June – July 2006
  Drafted orders on motions pending before the magistrate judge. Conducted research and drafted legal memoranda. Ob-served the process of jury duty, including first appearances in court and the issuance of warrants. Attended a seminar on the practice and procedure of immigration law. Observed a variety of cases pending before judges in the Southern Dis-trict of Florida.
  
  
• BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, Washington, DC
  Financial Analyst, April – December 2004
  Conducted a study and compiled a report on the energy and airline industries’ effect on large complex banking organ

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• IAS I
• IAS II
• Trial Practice