WHY I GIVE
Lori Baggett, J.D. 2002
B Y A S H L E Y M C K N I G H T - TAY LOR
Lori Baggett has thought a lot about how to be intentional
in life – particularly in regard to how she spends her time,
talent and money. It is a mindset instilled in her by her
parents, both of whom were schoolteachers deeply rooted in
their faith community.
“My parents set a great example for me and my brother in their
stewardship of time, talent and treasure,” she said.
One initiative worth Baggett’s focus was the establishment of the
Baggett Family Scholarship. She hopes to continue her family’s
legacy by providing financial assistance for African American
students interested in entering the legal profession.
Established in 2019, the Baggett Family Scholarship pays
expenses for three years at Stetson Law for students who
exhibit exemplary academic and personal leadership and have
demonstrated financial need. The overall goal is to support
the academic achievement and potential of African American
students who, through sharing their varied cultural perspectives,
will enhance the education of all law students and the excellence
of the Stetson College of Law.
“I was blessed to earn a diversity scholarship from the State of
Florida called the Minority Participation in Legal Education
(MPLE) that was matched by Stetson, allowing me to obtain
a full scholarship for law school and additional funds toward
The Florida Bar exam,” Baggett said. “It was a great benefit to
me and a reward to be able to receive something like that and
helped propel my career.”
If we want historically underrepresented groups to achieve
greater educational advancement in the legal profession, then
financial assistance earmarked for them is key, Baggett said.
Increasing diversity and equal representation in the practice of
P H I LANTHROPY
My parents set a great example for me and
my brother in their stewardship of time, talent
and treasure.”
— Lori Baggett, J.D. 2002
law is important to her, and she realized she needed to take an
active role to make that happen.
“You have to be intentional about the things you are passionate
about,” Baggett said.
She grew up in Crestview, Florida, and played Division I college
basketball at the College of Charleston and at the University of
South Alabama. Baggett earned a bachelor’s degree in English
with a minor in African American studies and sought a new
avenue to continue the reading and writing she loved while
incorporating analytical and critical thinking. Law offered that.
And Stetson offered a beautiful campus with no distractions and
a scholarship match that made it the obvious choice.
During law school, she was active with Black Law Students
Association, as well as Moot Court and Law Review. She won
a Labor and Employment Moot Court competition, and
that experience, along with internships and courses taught by
Professor Emeritus Robert Bickel, helped inform the direction
her law career would take.
Baggett graduated in 2002 and now works for Carlton Fields in
Tampa, representing companies in many aspects of labor and
employment law, with a particular expertise in workplace safety
and health (OSHA) issues. She is one of a handful of Florida
lawyers with OSHA 30 certification. She represents clients
dealing with fatal and catastrophic accidents and helps them
resolve OSHA citations and whistleblower complaints. She also
advises and counsels employers on workplace legal compliance
issues and defends employment-related claims.
Despite a busy career, Baggett continues to be involved with the
Stetson community by serving a second term as a member of the
Stetson Law Alumni Association and was recently inducted into
the U.S. Supreme Court with other Stetson alumni. She wants
her fellow alumni to understand that giving back doesn’t have
to be through monumental, one-time gestures. Small, monthly
donations have a cumulative effect and provide vital support for
Stetson’s mission.
“Give what you can, when you can. Many people are intimidated
by the impression they must give a large gift at end of year, but
for most of us, it’s more palatable to break it up and donate
monthly,” Baggett said. “It can be regular, intentional giving over
time. If everyone gives what they can, it will have an impact!”
Legacy is important, too. Baggett lost her brother in 2018. It made
her think about how she can both leave the world a better place
and have an impact while she’s still here – to be intentional about
where to give her time and treasure. It had to be for something of
significance to her, and again, Stetson was the obvious choice.
“Stetson is important to me.”
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