By: Jeremy Jones
Nearly 200 guests gathered March 21 at Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law’s Allies for Justice Gala in which former Judge Winifred J. Sharp was honored with the school’s Allies for Justice Award.
Sharp spent 27 years as a judge for the Fifth District Court of Appeal, from which she recently retired. She earned her law degree in 1961 from Stanford University and was a practicing attorney in Orlando for nearly 14 years. Throughout her career Sharp has been an advocate for women and children’s issues. She has been involved in the equal rights movement and Florida child care initiatives, and has remained active on women’s issues through membership in groups like the League of Women Voters and the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, and as a past president of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers.
She has also been active in organizations that protect the rights of children and the mentally ill, which has been portrayed through her roles as past president of the Board of Directors of the Child Care Resources Network, a member of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, and a board member of the Beth Johnson Community Mental Health Center. Sharp’s community efforts extend to both educational and religious organizations as well. She is the past Director of the Christian Service Center and has served as a director of the Foundation for Valencia Community College in Orlando. She is married to Joel Sharp, a member of the Barry Board of Trustees and the Law School Advisory Board.
Also honored at the Gala were Barry Law School student Ashley Spizzuco and Barry Law School graduate Jerry Girley. Spizzuco, recipient of the first-ever Student Ally Award, is a second year student who exhibits a passion for helping others through her volunteer work with Student Bar Association (SBA), the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and organizing other fundraisers on campus.
Girley, a 2007 graduate and recipient of the first-ever Alumni Award, has dedicated his career to fighting for civil rights. In addition to pursuing cases of discrimination as a lawyer, Jerry volunteers his time with statewide civil rights organizations, assists with voting drives and initiatives for underrepresented populations and is an ordained minister.
Among those in attendance were State Rep. Scott Randolph and Congressman Alan Grayson, as well as other prominent members of the Central Florida judiciary including: Carmine Bravo, Jose Rodriguez, Donna McIntosh, Norberto Katz and retired Judge Thomas Freeman.
The Allies for Justice Gala raises money for the Law School’s Innovation Fund, which promotes innovative, cutting-edge, legal education; provides scholarships to students; and provides other advancement opportunities for members of the Law School community.
For a photo gallery of the gala, please see the photographer's website here : http://EnriqueFux.smugmug.com.