WARRIORS n
PERSONAL INJURY
WARRIOR
Coretta Anthony-Smith
COURTESY OF CORETTA ANTHONY- SMITH oretta Anthony-Smith is a native Floridian , born and raised in Naples , Florida . After graduating from high school , Coretta attended Georgetown University where she earned her B . S . in Marketing . Thereafter , she worked in the insurance industry learning the ins-and-outs of the insurance industry and the inner workings of insurance companies . In 1996 , Coretta began law school at the University of Florida , Levin College of Law , where she graduated in 1999 . After graduating from law school , Coretta worked for two prominent insurance defense firms representing several major insurance carriers . In 2004 she stopped representing insurance companies and changed her focus to representing consumers and individuals in claims against insurance companies .
In 2007 , Coretta formed Anthony-Smith Law with only one other employee . The firm has now grown to more than 12 employees . She focuses on representing people against insurance companies in various insurance disputes including but not limited to property damage claims , homeowner ’ s claims , personal injury protection claims (“ PIP ”) and wrongful denial of coverage claims . Coretta also represents individuals who have been injured in automobile accidents , slip and falls and victims of nursing home neglect .
Coretta is also licensed to practice law in all counties in the State of Florida , as well as the Federal Courts for the Northern , Southern and Middle Districts of Florida . She also serves on the Florida Bar ’ s Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Committee and previously served on the Florida Bar ’ s Small Claims Rules Committee ( 2010-2017 ). Coretta was also a contributing editor on the Tenth and Eleventh Editions of The Florida Bar ’ s , Florida Automobile Insurance Law , No-Fault Insurance ( 2018 and 2019 ). She has been a featured speaker at the Florida Chiropractic Associations Regional
Events in Orlando ( November 2020 ) and St . Augustine ( November 2020 ). She is also scheduled to speak at their upcoming regional event in Panama City in February of 2021 .
Coretta also believes in giving back to the community and works on many charitable events . She is currently a board member of Saving Our Sons , an organization dedicated to strengthening male leadership in underprivileged areas . She has also received several awards for her community service and generous sponsorship donations .
What would you define as a Woman Warrior ? I would define a Woman Warrior as a strong woman who exudes courage , aggressiveness , vigor and compassion in anything she sets out to do . A woman warrior does not let obstacles defeat her . She shines in the face of adversity . Her determination to succeed is never outweighed by her strength to achieve her goals .
What Obstacles did you overcome to get to where you are today ? I think that the most difficult obstacle is growing up without a mother and having my father die when I was still in high school . I had to be my own motivating force to get through high school , college and law school . Despite these obstacles , I knew that in order to succeed , I could not let self-pity or self-doubt drag me down . Even though my parents were not physically with me , I knew that they were looking down on me from Heaven and providing me with guiding hands .
What inspired you to become the woman that you are today ? I was inspired by the strong females that surrounded me growing up . I had strong women in my family , friends and in church . These women succeeded during segregation . Although they went to segregated high schools , they did not let that deter them . They went to HBCUs , graduated , and found their own paths in life . In truth , this inspired me to make my own path , as well .
What are your current endeavors and future goals ? Currently , I would like to make a difference in the legal community . When people think of the legal community , many only think of criminal law and family law . Many people do not understand our justice system and how the civil justice system impacts them . They do not understand that our legislators enact laws that do not positively impact our community ; but rather cater to big business and industries . My future endeavors and goals include educating our society , and in particular , minorities , that these civil laws do impact them – and most of the time , in ways that they do not understand . I want to educate minorities that our votes count , not only in presidential races , but in local races since these politicians enact laws that affect our everyday lives . In many ways , civil laws can be just as suppressing as criminal laws . Civil rights can be taken away and the impact can last for generations to come .
What word of advice would you like to share ? My word of advice is to be true to yourself and know yourself . My father used to tell me that he sacrificed for me , so that I could have a better life than he did . I think that , as a society , we have to sacrifice for our children , so that they can be better than we are . If we continue to live that way , each generation will improve . We cannot be selfish and think only of ourselves . In order to prosper and succeed , we have to sacrifice and teach our children that they can , and should , do better . n
canthony @ anthony-smithlaw . com www . Anthony-SmithLaw . com Facebook / Instagram / Twitter : anthonysmithlaw
IBA Success Magazine n VOL 7 , Issue 1 46