Florina Altshiler is the lead trial attorney and a partner with the Buffalo, NY office of Russo & Gould LLP, where she specializes in the defense of large loss casualty matters. Her practice also includes medical malpractice, construction liability, general negligence law and criminal defense.

Florina served as a prosecutor for the State of Alaska, where she handled the prosecution of all levels of crime through jury trial. She successfully prosecuted dozens of cases through verdict, including violent felonies and sexual assault. During her time in the Special Assaults Unit, she focused on felony-level crimes against children and sex crimes as well as homicides.

 Education:

• J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, 2005
• International Studies Certificate from Binghamton University, 2003
• B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University, 2002

 Experience:

• Practicing attorney for over 10 years
• Litigated cases at the State and Federal level through trial and appeal
• Over 20 trials through jury verdict as first chair
• Arbitrator, Civil Court of the City of New York
• Instructor of Trial Advocacy at Columbia University in the City of New York
• Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy (criminal and civil) at St. John’s School of Law
• Mock Trial Coach, Anchorage High School

 Admissions:

• New York State, 2006
• New Jersey State, 2005
• Alaska State, 2013
• United States District Courts of the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York

Honors:

• Alaska State Legislature Citation
• Dr. Thomas C. Beneventano Award for Legal Medicine
• Rosenberg Scholar, St. John’s School of Law
• Institutional Merit Scholar, St. John’s School of Law
• 2004 CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Criminal Trial Advocacy
• U.S. President’s Student Service Award for Outstanding Service to America
• United Hospital Fund’s Student Achievement Award
• Rosefsky Language and Culture Scholar, Binghamton University
• Semi-Finalist, Intel National Science Talent Search
• Salomon Smith Barney Quality of Life Research Competition
• New York City Hall Commendation for Research

Presentations:

• Erie County Bar Association CLE Presenter: Pre-Litigation Statements Qualified Privilege or Defamation? April, 2015
• Erie County Bar Association CLE Presenter: Intensive (two-day) Trial College, anticipated October, 2015
• WGRZ-TV: Civil Trial Analysis of the Corasanti trial
• Contributing writer in Law and Policy to The Public