The Honorable Tarlika Nunez-Navarro currently serves as the Dean and Professor of Law at St. Thomas University College of Law. Under her leadership, the institution has markedly improved its academic standing, achieving record enrollment and the highest July bar passage rate in its history, along with a significant rise of 17 positions in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Schools” rankings. The school’s advocacy programs have also thrived, earning accolades in state and national competitions.

Dean Navarro made history as the first Colombian American appointed to the Circuit Court bench in Florida’s Ninth and Seventeenth Judicial Circuits, having been appointed by both Senator Rick Scott and Governor Ron DeSantis. Prior to her time on the judiciary, she practiced criminal law, as a criminal defense attorney and as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County.

A nationally recognized legal commentator, she has offered expert analysis on major networks including FOX News, CBS, NewsNation, Newsmax, and Court TV. Her distinguished career has earned her numerous honors, including the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida’s Jurist of the Year Award, the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association’s Jurist of the Month Award, and the Bravo Award for her commitment to the Hispanic community. Additionally, she was recognized as a Champion in her field for her contributions to the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program.

Since becoming Dean, she has been named a Hispanic Woman of Distinction by Latina Style Magazine, recognized in Marquis Who’s Who in America for excellence in legal services and education, and acknowledged as one of the Most Inspiring Leaders in the Educational Sector to Follow in 2025.

Dean Navarro chairs The Florida Bar’s Mental Health and Wellness Standing Committee and serves as a trustee and Executive Committee member of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society. She teaches Advanced Trial Litigation and the Women and the Law seminar at St. Thomas University College of Law. Notably, she is the first alumna to serve as Dean and is part of a distinguished group representing the largest cohort of female Hispanic judges in the nation.