Professor Cooper holds an A.B. degree, with distinction, from Stanford University and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Leadership
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Cecil HowardCecil Howard, J.D., is Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Interim Dean of the College of Law at Florida A&M University. Howard plays a key role in strategic planning, management, and oversight of diverse academic initiatives for the college. He also works closely with the college’s faculty and staff to enhance the overall academic experience for law students. This includes oversight of faculty affairs in teaching, research and service, and the management of targeted bar passage rates and accreditation activities at the academic program and institutional level. His three primary objectives are to enhance bar preparation and curriculum alignment for FAMU College of Law students, ensure aligned and successful accreditation and operational oversight, and implement comprehensive strategies and initiatives to foster a supportive and conducive environment for teaching, research, and administrative excellence. Howard is also the principal of CEH Consulting, a firm that provides recruitment and leadership services to universities, non-profits, and corporations throughout the country. He has served as chief legal counsel for the Florida Commission on Human Relations and as equal opportunity director for the City of Gainesville, Florida. Howard currently serves on several boards including the Board of Directors for Collegiate Bridge, Inc., a nonprofit that aims to increase retention, graduation rates, and economic self-sufficiency of black students. He earned his juris doctorate from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and has a bachelor’s degree in government from Florida State University. Dean Keller writes and speaks at the intersections of pedagogy, intellectual property, personhood theory, critical race theory, and the Constitution. Her current work is focused on inclusive pedagogies and diversifying the legal profession. She is also active in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the community. In that capacity, she has served on the DEI taskforce of the Orlando Economic Partnership. Dean Keller also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Parramore Community Engagement Council. Prior to teaching, Keller practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia, with the firms of Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan, LLP and Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. She specialized in intellectual property. Her experience included patent, copyright, and trademark litigation, procurement, and counseling. Keller earned her B.A. in English and Sociology from Yale College and her JD from Emory University College of Law. She and her husband have six children. Chief of Staff:
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Markita D. CooperMarkita D. Cooper is the associate dean of Academic Affairs. This is a role she held previously at FAMU Law. Professor Cooper joined the faculty of FAMU College of Law after 17 years on the faculty of Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California. At Golden Gate, Professor Cooper served as associate dean for J.D. Program Academic Affairs and Faculty Chair. Her primary teaching and scholarship interests include torts, defamation, privacy, and employment law. Her publications have focused on workplace defamation, employment references and referrals, the intersection of defamation law and workplace violence, and historical perspectives on invasion of privacy and technology. Senior Administrative Assistant:
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Jonathan FinemanAfter earning a J.D. from Columbia University, Jonathan Fineman spent several years in private practice litigating a wide range of business-related disputes. Before joining the FAMU faculty, he taught Employment Law and Comparative Employment Law as a Research Fellow at the University of Colorado School of Law. Professor Fineman’s scholarship focuses on workplace issues, and includes a recent article in the Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law.
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Reginald M. GreenReginald Green joined the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) College of Law in March 2010 and serves as the Associate Dean for Student Services and Administration where he oversees the law school’s non-academic services ( Career Services, Admissions, Student Affairs and Administrative Affairs). Before relocating to Central Florida, Dean Green spent sixteen years at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas serving as Assistant Dean and Director for Career Resources for the last 10 years. Prior to transitioning to career development, Dean Green served as a national recruiter where he traveled extensively recruiting applicants to law school. Dean Green is a four time recipient of the Percy R. Luney Spirit of Service Award for outstanding service and dedication to students, and was the 2014 recipient of the CeDar Visionary Award for displaying integrity and exhibiting a sincere desire to create a campus environment for persons with disabilities. Dean Green received his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas and a Bachelors of Arts in English from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss. During his collegiate years he was a member of the basketball team and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
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Randolph C. RelifordRandolph Reliford is the Associate Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development. Reliford began in career services as a career advisor for the University of San Diego School of Law, followed by an appointment as Associate Director of Career Services at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. There he developed relationships with employers and created job opportunities through a recruiting program that added firms from California, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, D.C., and Texas. Reliford more recently served as Assistant Dean for Career Services at Pennsylvania State Law in University Park, Pennsylvania, where he served on the senior leadership team, leading a six-person career services office providing career and development service for more than 500 students and alumni. Immediately prior to Penn State, he served as Assistant Dean for Career Development and Employer Outreach for Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California. There he led the effort to restructure office roles and build judicial clerkship, public interest, and corporate counsel programs to increase employment opportunities for students and alumni. Reliford gained legal and leadership experience working with various firms including J.P. Morgan Chase & Company, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Foley & Lardner LLP, the State of Wisconsin Circuit Court, and Klehr, Harrisoon, Harvey, Branzburg LLP – where he served as a Litigation Associate. Reliford has gained experience in the tech industry, working with ServiceNow. Reliford holds several memberships and certifications, and has presented on numerous occasions with various organizations including the San Diego County Bar Association and the National Association of Law Placement. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and International Business from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the State Bar of Pennsylvania.
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Nicholas "Nick" JonesAssistant Dean Nicholas “Nick” Jones is the new Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.
Assistant Dean Jones has an abiding passion for higher education and participating
in students’ development into mindful, confident professionals. Since 2015, he has
prepared students for careers in the legal field and beyond at the Florida A&M University
College of Law, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, and the Barry University Dwayne
O. Andreas School of Law.
In addition to career preparedness, Jones directed the Office of Student Life at Barry, overseeing the activities of 30-plus student organizations, administering the pro bono and professionalism enhancement programs, and serving on the inaugural Anti-Racism and Equality Coalition. Jones received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida, and a Juris Doctor from the Florida A&M University College of Law. He is thrilled to return to FAMU Law as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and contribute to the College of Law’s mission. |
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Dexter SmithDexter Smith, M.Ed., J.D is the Assistant Dean of Law Admissions. He is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in recruiting, strategic planning, and program creation. Dean Smith has a proven track record, having reviewed over 40,000 applications, admitted over 20,000 candidates, matriculated nearly 5,000, and allocated more than $50 million in scholarships. Dexter's expertise lies in domestic and international recruiting, diversity program creation, strategic marketing, and branding management. He has demonstrated success in relationship building and strategic positioning in law school enrollment management. Dean Smith has held leadership roles at several universities institutions and associations including Emory University, the College of William & Mary, Campbell University, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He earned his juris doctor, master’s in educational leadership, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. Dean Smith’s skills include transformational leadership and mentoring, communications and marketing, relationship building, team building, strategic partnership development, metric development and deployment, revenue and budget forecasting, recruitment, and strategic planning. He is detail-oriented and has a knack for strategic planning. His work has had a significant impact on the institutions he has served, and he continues to be a transformative figure in the field of law school admissions. “I am honored to join such an esteemed, highly regarded Historically Black College and University with an intentional focus on educating and preparing the best and brightest young men and women to become our leaders of tomorrow.”
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