Dana Moss

Dana is a native of Pennsylvania, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Penn State University. She was awarded scholarships for her academic achievements throughout undergraduate, was a member of the National Honors Society, and studied abroad, traveling to Greece, England, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.

Upon returning to the United States, Dana immediately went to work for the criminal justice system in 1994 as a case manager with a private correctional facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It didn’t take long for Dana to realize that she had a special talent for working with people and understanding the law. Dana worked hard to help inmates transition back into the community through work release programs. She aggressively argued before parole boards throughout the state of Wyoming on behalf of inmates who met the criteria for early release and demonstrated the ability to be productive members of society.

In 1997, Dana decided to broaden her horizon in the criminal justice field and earned her law enforcement certification. Dana will never forget the impression a police academy instructor made upon her in stressing, “No other profession gives you the right to deprive someone of his or her liberty. It’s imperative that you understand the authority being granted to you and wisely exercise that discretion.” Those words stuck with Dana throughout her law enforcement career. She took advantage of every opportunity to educate herself about the law. She knew how important it was to always be prepared, because citizens depend on the police to protect their lives and property. Dana patrolled the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina for three years investigating crimes, gathering evidence, and evaluating drivers for impairment before relocating to Greeley, Colorado due to her husband’s employment. Dana continued working as a police officer in Greeley, where the Greeley Optimist Club recognized her with an Outstanding Officer of the Year Award in May 2003 when her professionalism, dedication, and investigative skills helped to end a high profile crime spree that had spread across several states.

Craving a deeper knowledge of the law, Dana accepted an academic scholarship from Florida Coastal School of Law and moved her family to Jacksonville, Florida in August 2003. Dana excelled in law school and earned a spot on her school’s moot court team. She traveled nationally to compete and won a number of awards, including Best Oral Advocate at a statewide competition in Orlando. In 2004, Dana was selected for the prestigious honor of clerking for the Florida Supreme Court. While in Tallahassee, Dana focused on fine tuning her legal research and writing skills, and later put those skills to work as a teaching assistant in FCSL’s Legal Writing department. It was a fascinating time for Dana to work behind the scenes with the Justices and gain insight on what it takes to successfully litigate a case. At graduation, Florida Coastal School of Law presented Dana with the Founder’s Award for promoting professionalism and the ideals of the school and also recognized her for pro bono service to the community.

After graduating from law school in 2005, Dana accepted her first job as an attorney with the State of Florida in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, serving as in-house Court Counsel for the judges in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Dana continued working for the State of Florida, as a trial attorney defending indigent criminal defendant and prosecuting licensing violations for the Division of Real Estate, until she entered private practice in 2010.

Now Dana focuses exclusively on criminal defense work. Having spent the last sixteen years in the criminal justice field, Dana is comfortable working with police officers and prosecutors. For the most part, Dana believes the men and women who fill these roles are honest, hard-working people. Yet, she knows that sometimes mistakes are made and innocent people can be deprived of their liberties.

Dana is well aware how stressful and devastating it can be for individuals who have been arrested and are facing prosecution. That’s why she is committed to making herself accessible to each client and providing them with honest, direct communication to assist them in making sound decisions. When she is not in the courtroom aggressively litigating, Dana is at the office communicating with clients and preparing a thorough defense. She strives to give her clients that personal touch lacking at large firms, backed by the confidence of her uncompromising work ethic.