S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E :
M E E T
T H E
J U D G E S
Author: Lyndsey E. Siara – Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
Continued from page 15
that for herself. It was also because of this experience that
she vowed never to run for public office. But we know
how that turned out.
As a high school senior, Judge Isom became the
youngest legislative secretary for a state representative.
(“My typing skills were great, but I never could play the
piano,” she laughed.) This earned her a feature in the
local Sunday Supplements (as seen on page 15). At that
time, secretaries sat on the Chamber floor. Her eyes were
opened as she saw lobbyists in action and legislators argue
bills. Although this reaffirmed her decision to never run
for office, it also deepened her desire to become a lawyer.
To that end, she followed the (sage?) advice of a teacher
and applied to Florida State University’s College of Law
because, according to that teacher, Florida would provide
a vacation-like atmosphere for an Iowa girl. Interestingly
enough, lots of people from Iowa went to FSU. So at only
twenty years old, she made the trek to Florida.
Like many people, Judge Isom found law school
intimidating. Having once been told by a guidance
counselor that her special talent was taking standardized
tests, Judge Isom found it humbling to not be the smartest
person in the class. But the universe smiled on her when
she met her future husband — Woody Isom — the day
before classes began. She described him as a “superstar”
in law school; one who helped her learn how to be a good
student. He must have been an excellent tutor, because
after a whirlwind romance, Judge Isom married her law
school love just months after meeting him. Over forty-
four years, four children (two of whom are attorneys as
well!), six granddaughters, a judgeship, and endless
memories later, Judge Isom looks forward to spending her
retirement years with her law school sweetheart.
After law school, Judge Isom interned at the Public
Defender’s Office in Pensacola (My hometown and
further validation for writing these articles. It’s amazing
the connections you can make with people when you take
a little time to talk!). Serendipitous circumstances — a job
interview that didn’t pan out for Woody followed by some
connections with friends that led to an associate position
at Fowler White for him — brought them to Tampa.
It was around this time that Judge Isom decided to
spend a few years as a stay-at-home mom while her
children were young. Of course, this decision did not
come without its challenges. One male relic even had the
audacity to ask Judge Isom whether she felt bad for taking
a man’s place in law school, particularly in light of her
decision to not immediately practice. So it comes as no
surprise why Judge Isom became so involved in diversity
and inclusion activities after becoming a judge.
When she was ready to reenter the workforce, then-
State Attorney E.J. Salcines hired her. She spent three
years there, followed by another stint as a stay-at-home
mom, a few years at what used to be the Florida
Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, and
ultimately, practicing with Woody for several years after
he opened his own firm.
She may not have described herself as such, but
Judge Isom is the epitome of a trailblazing woman in
Hillsborough’s legal community. She was at the forefront
of women entering the judiciary. There were no female
judges when she was an Assistant State Attorney a
few years earlier. But that tide began to slowly change.
And Judge Isom followed in the footsteps of other
trailblazing women like Susan Bucklew, Barbara
Fleischer, Susan Sexton, and Deborah Behnke in vying
for judgeships. She gave up that teenage promise to not
run for public office and threw her name in the hat for
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JAN - FEB 2018
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HCBA LAWYER