Meredith E. Level, J.D. ’94 was posthumously recognized with the Certified
Lawyer of the Year Award during the 2018 Florida Bar Convention in Orlando.
Pictured, from left: Mary Robison; Stetson alumnus Roberto Fleitas, J.D./MBA
‘04, LL.M. ‘05; June Saine Level; Diana Basta, J.D. ’03; Stetson alumnus William
Kramer, J.D. ’80; Stetson alumnus Dennis Cohrs, J.D. ’84; and Lynn Lovejoy.
MOTHER ESTABLISHES NEW SCHOLARSHIP IN
MEMORY OF DAUGHTER
June Saine Level visited Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus this
summer to discuss with Dean Michèle Alexandre something
very dear to her heart: a way to honor the memory of her
daughter, Meredith Level, J.D. ’94.
Meredith graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1983
and earned an MBA from the University of Kansas in 1986. She
worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City as an examiner
before realizing she wanted to change careers. Meredith decided
to attend law school at Stetson University College of Law and
graduated in 1994.
While at Stetson, Meredith was an editor of Stetson Law Review.
After graduating, Meredith went on to become a highly respected
attorney. She practiced real estate law at Lowndes, Drosdick,
Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. in Orlando. During her 20-year
career, she helped represent local, regional and national businesses,
as well as real estate investment companies, banking associations,
and other retailers.
Meredith also served as the firm’s Charitable Contributions
Committee Chair, organizing hundreds of fundraising initiatives
on behalf of the firm and in the community for organizations
such as the Heart of Florida United Way, United Arts of Central
Florida, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Second Harvest,
Jewish Family Services, and many more.
June joked that every organization Meredith joined, she rose to be
the president. Meredith was a hard worker who was dedicated not
only to her career but also to her community. She touched many
lives throughout her life.
She was honored with the “Leader in the Law” award by the
Florida Association of Women Lawyers, as well as the “Women
of Distinction Award” during the Annual Women of Distinction
Gala hosted by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council.
She served as the chairperson of the Florida Bar Real Estate
Certification Committee, where she wrote and graded the exams
for board certification in real estate. Meredith was posthumously
awarded the Certified Lawyer of the Year Award in 2018 – an
honor recognizing her exemplary professionalism, excellence
and character, as well as her commitment to The Florida Bar’s
certification program and to the practice of law.
Sadly, Meredith passed away
from cancer on Oct. 5, 2017.
Her mother decided to create
the Meredith E. Level Memorial
Endowed Scholarship in her honor.
It will provide financial resources
for a second- or third-year female
student. The scholarship may be
awarded to the same student(s)
more than once, and preference
will be given to nontraditional
students.
June wants Meredith to be remembered as someone who
always made time to listen to people and to help them, not just
attorneys but children, too. June was very proud of Meredith
when she won the National Junior Achievement Bronze
Leadership Award. Meredith was a member of the Board of
Directors of Junior Achievement of Central Florida and helped
launch the JA Academy for Leadership and Entrepreneurship
at a local high school. She also helped create a finance virtual
curriculum to teach budgeting, investing, setting financial goals
and other practical skills to ninth grade students at the
JA Academy.
June said Meredith had to take out a lot of student loans to
attend law school and remembers going out to dinner to celebrate
with her the night she paid them all off. Given Meredith’s own
experience and her lifetime dedication to educating young people
about finances, June said she thinks that Meredith would have
liked the idea of giving money to a law student who needed it.
B Y B R I T TANY G I V E N
B R I E F S
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