The Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro
Dean
Email: tnuneznavarro@stu.edu
Phone: 305.623.2324
Mail:
St. Thomas University College of Law
Office of the Dean (203)
16401 NW 37th Ave
Miami Gardens, FL 33054
Education:
B.S., University of Miami
J.D., St. Thomas University College of Law
The Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro
The Honorable Tarlika Nunez-Navarro is the Dean at St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law. Dean Navarro has an esteemed background, having previously served as a Circuit Court Judge in both the Ninth and Seventeenth Judicial Circuits. She is widely recognized for her steadfast commitment to justice and her remarkable contributions to the legal community.
Dean Navarro was appointed to the Circuit Court bench by both Senator Rick Scott and Governor Ron DeSantis. During her tenure, she presided over various Circuit Felony divisions, including Felony Criminal Court, Felony Drug Court, Juvenile Drug Court, Domestic Violence Court, and the Unified Family Court. While serving on the judiciary, Dean Navarro was an adjunct professor at FAMU’s School of Law, teaching Advanced Trial Litigation, and conducted Lawyer Well-Being workshops at St. Thomas University College of Law.
Prior to serving as a Circuit Court Judge, Dean Navarro worked in private practice with a focus on criminal defense. She also served as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County, handling cases ranging from first-degree misdemeanors to life felonies. Earlier in her career, she clerked for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County’s Family and Domestic Violence Division.
Dean Navarro earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and went on to achieve her Juris Doctor degree from St. Thomas University College of Law, where she graduated cum laude. Her achievements have been pioneering; she became the first Colombian American to be appointed to the Circuit Court bench in Florida’s Ninth and Seventeenth Judicial Circuits.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions to the legal field, Dean Navarro received the Jurist of the Year award from the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida in 2022. In 2021, the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association honored her with the Jurist of the Month award. She was also designated as a Champion for her work in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Drug Court program.
Dean Navarro holds the distinction of being the first alumni to serve as the Dean of St. Thomas University College of Law. She is part of a distinguished group of the College of Law’s graduates, which forms the largest assembly of female Hispanic judges in the nation.
