Mark M. O'Mara

Mark M. O’Mara has been a fixture in the Central Florida legal community since 1982. While he started his career as a prosecutor for the State Attorney’s office in Seminole County, he quickly crossed to the other side of the courtroom and has served as a defense attorney ever since.  Mark is one of the very few lawyers in Florida who is Board Certified in both Criminal Trial Law and Marital and Family Law,  he is certified in Collaborative Law and is a Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator and Circuit Civil Mediator. He has practiced in both state and federal courts throughout the southeast and has co-counseled on matters throughout the nation. As a trial consultant, Mr. O’Mara helps other lawyers perform at their peak in trials with complicated legal issues and intense media scrutiny.

After leading the high-profile defense of George Zimmerman, Mr. O’Mara received acclaim for his even-handed management of the controversial case.  His on-camera experience during the trial earned him the honor of  being a CNN legal analyst.  Since the verdict, Mr. O’Mara has decided to use his voice to contribute to the national conversation about race, guns, self-defense, the media, and the criminal justice system -- and he speaks frequently on these topics.

Moreover, he started a non-profit organization called Justice Outreach, designed to identify and fix problems with the justice system, and he is an advocate for change in state and national laws that lead to the over-prosecution of American citizens, whether it be by unbridled prosecutors or inappropriately applied minimum mandatory sentencing schemes. He also heads up the Talking Race project (www.talkingrace.com) where he works with Dr. Jeffrianne Wilder of UNF.

He has recently expanded his practice to include representing client aggrieved by large corporations, from drug and medical device manufacturers to automobile companies in an area of law known as Mass Torts. He and his team look forward to utilizing the research and trial presentation skilled honed over thirty years to hold these companies responsible for their wrongs, and to make them more responsible in their future behavior.

Mr. O’Mara earned his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law in 1982, and received his undergraduate degree from University of Central Florida in 1979.   He  has taught at the University of Central Florida and Harvard Law School; has taught seminars for the Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers, South Carolina Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, Central Florida Family Law American Inn of Court, the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, the Florida Homicide Investigators Association, the University of Buffalo Mock Court Competition, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Family Law Practice for Paralegals program.  He is Martindale-Hubbell A.V. Preeminent rated, served as President of the Seminole County Bar Association and as President of the Central Florida Family Law American Inn of Court. He has most recently been selected as a member of the NTL Round Table, the top 100 most Influential Trial Lawyers in America and was selected as the NTL Criminal Trial Lawyer of the Year.

Areas of Practice

   
• Criminal Law
   
• DUI/DWI
   
• White Collar Crimes
   
• Family Law
   
• Child Support
   
• Custody & Visitation
   
• Divorce
   
• Internet - Cyberspace
   
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

Certified Legal Specialties

   
• Criminal Trial Specialist, Florida Bar, 1996
   
• Board Certified, Criminal Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education
   
• Certified Circuit Civil and Family Mediator, Florida Supreme Court
   
• Marital and Family Law, Florida Bar, 2011

Bar Admissions

   
• Florida, 1982
   
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1984
   
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1984

Education

   
• Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida
  
     
  • J.D. - 1982
  
  
   
• University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
  
     
  • B.A. - 1979
  
  
     
  • Honors: Dean's List
  
  
     
  • Major: Pre Law Political Science
  
  

Professional Associations and Memberships

   
• Seminole County Bar Association, Past President, 1999 - Present
   
• American Bar Association, Member
   
• The Florida Bar, Criminal Law & Family Law Sections, Member
   
• Law Office Management, Member
   
• Grievance Committee, Chair, 1997 - 1999
   
• Criminal Law Certification Committee, Member
   
• Florida Association of Trial Lawyers, Member
   
• Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member
   
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member
   
• C.F. Family Law Inn of Court, Member
   
• State Attorney's Office, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, Seminole County, Member, 1982 - 1984
   
• Federal Court Grievance Committee, Chair
   
• Orange County Bar Association

Past Employment Positions

   
• Seminole County State Attorney Office, Assistant State Attorney, 1982 - 1984

Languages

   
• Spanish

Fraternities/Sororities

   
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon