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Tampa attorney Karen Skyers has been named a member of the “Distinguished Alumni” by the Florida A&M University College of Law.
Skyers, now with the Government Law & Lobbying Practice Group at Becker & Poliakoff, received the award May 14.
It “recognizes alumni who have excelled in the legal profession while contributing to the community and school,” according to a press release. She graduated from the law school in 2010.
Skyers, who also speaks Spanish, was secretary of the Black Law Student Association and a leader in the Hispanic Law Student Association during her time at FAMU Law in Orlando.
She was a legislative aide to state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, the Tampa Democrat who rose to Senate Democratic Leader in 2014-16.
Skyers later was a lobbyist for Southern Strategy Group.
She is a former public defender for Hillsborough County and worked as a child protective investigator for the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to Skyers’ bio.
She also has interned for the federal Public Defender’s Office in Orlando, and at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in Washington, D.C.