Coming from a family of public servants, Debora J. Turner is very conscious of issues relating to her community. She decided at a young age that she wanted to help, and used her skills in writing and problem-solving to work toward that goal. Ms. Turner proceeded to earn a Bachelor of Arts and a JD from the University of Miami, and certification as a Florida public pension trustee through the Florida Public Pension Trustees Association. She then became admitted to practice before the state of Florida, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She considers her education to be one of her greatest professional achievements, as she was the first person in her immediate family to finish college and become a lawyer.
Now, Ms. Turner is thriving as a first assistant city attorney for the City of Miami Beach. She joined the office in 1989, and is responsible for handling legislation and land use litigation and appeals, as well as for supervising the legal intern and fellowship program. Over the years, she has garnered a lot of experience with subjects like the Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private Property Rights Protection Act. Ms. Turner loves the fact that she gets to deal with a wide array of issues because it makes the job exciting and interesting. She finds Miami Beach to be a dynamic, cutting-edge, world-class city to represent and practice law. To keep up with developments in the field, Ms. Turner and her colleagues maintain contact with other major cities around the country to see how they solve issues in their coastal communities. She also teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami School of Law and lectures at various conferences.
When Ms. Turner isn’t working, she is pursuing activities to enhance her personal life. She was particularly proud of becoming a certified diver because it represented a triumph over her fears of the water.
