Julio D. Torres

Julio Daniel Torres is an associate in the firm's Miami office. Mr. Torres is a litigator and practices in the areas of automobile negligence, insurance defense, products liability, marine/admiralty, hospitality, and general liability defense.

Mr. Torres first attended Florida International University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy and graduated with magna cum laude honors. Much of his coursework consisted of the intersection of political theory, domestic politics, and philosophy of law.

Later, Mr. Torres attended the University of Miami School of law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree and graduated with cum laude honors. Mr. Torres' time at the Law School was well-spent, having interned for the Honorable Judge Norma S. Lindsey at the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, where he wrote several legal memoranda and conducted legal research primarily on Florida civil and appellate procedure and contracts. Mr. Torres obtained further government experience as a Certified Legal Intern ("CL") for the Florida Office of Attorney General, Civil Division in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a CLI, Mr. Torres had the opportunity to attend hearings with attorney supervision and speak on behalf of clients that consisted of state departments. Mr. Torres also substantially researched Article III standing and Fourth Amendment privacy issues, summary judgment standards, and administrative procedures underlying § 1983 tort actions pertaining to excessive force claims. Mr. Torres has also worked as a Law Clerk for many small, local firms with a focus on private civil practice. In doing so, Mr. Torres' admiration for the practice of law only further grew and received invaluable mentorship.

Also, while at the Law School, Mr. Torres was recognized for his excellent performance in the Litigation Skills program - a program that was structured as a semester-long course that simulated a lawsuit from its inception to jury verdict based on a fictitious fact pattern provided by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. His "final trial" under this program was judged by Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida Court Judge, Jason Emilios Dimitris, and performed in front of a volunteer jury. Mr. Torres consistently received praise for his simulated direct- and cross-examinations, opening statements, and closing arguments. His performance, dedication, and hard work culminated in Mr. Torres becoming the recipient of two $5,000 scholarships: the Marco A. Vazquez Memorial Scholarship and Ervin A. Gonzalez Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Torres was invited to join the Miami Law Trial Team at the Law School after trying out during the summer. Mr. Torres subsequently competed in the 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Trial Competition which, at its center, focused on Eighth Amendment issues.

Mr. Torres also spent his final year interning at the Law School's Eleanor R. Cristol and Judge A. Jay Cristol Bankruptcy Pro Bono Assistance Clinic, where he learned of the intricacies surrounding bankruptcy law. Mr. Torres then put that knowledge into practice when assisting actual clients of the Clinic with Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings with the help of mentor attorneys and peers. At the end, Mr. Torres played a crucial role in assisting clients gaining financial freedom and a "second, fresh start" to life.

Mr. Torres was also invited to join the Law School’s Race and Social Justice Law Review after excelling in its write-on competition. Mr. Torres assisted Law Review staff with the publication process, often checking factual assertions and cited legal authority made by authors who were to be published by the Law Review. While working for the Law Review, Mr. Torres wrote and was published about the Kyle Rittenhouse controversy following the widely-publicized events of the Kenosha, Wisconsin riots stemming from racial tensions that sparked national and global discussions and protests. Deciding to further research legal issues that are inextricably tied to racial justice, Mr. Torres wrote about a burdensomely-high threshold Title VII claimants are required to meet in order to prevail in hostile work environment claims based on harassment and discrimination - namely, an "objective" standard that seems to be anything but. That paper was selected for publication by the Law Review.

PUBLICATIONS:

• Julio D. Torres, Forget About Racial Epithets, Nooses, and Exposure to Other Offensive Scenes: How Courts Impose a Burdensomely High Threshold for Title VII Plaintiffs to Succeed in Hostile Work Environment Claims, 13 U. MIAMI RACE & SOC. L. REV. __ (20__) (selected for publication in the upcoming Volume 13).
• Julio D. Torres, Justice Under Law, Except for Victims: How Refusing to Label the Injured as Victims is Troublesome in a Time of Race and Social Unrest, U. MIAMI RACE & SOC. L. REV. BLOG (Jan. 18, 2022), https://race-and-social-justice-review.law.miami.edu/justice-law-victims-refusing-label-injured-victims-troublesome-time-race-social-unrest/.
• Julio D. Torres, From “Unlicensed Practice of Law to Practice of Law How a Pandemic Sparked Discussions to Abolish Specific Jurisdiction Requirements, LEGAL ETHICS ADVISOR BLOG (Oct. 19, 2020), https://legalethicsadvisor.com/unlicensed-pandemic-jurisdiction/.
• Julio D. Torres, Law Practice Marketing Through COVID-19: It’s Still Possible to Be Successful, LEGAL ETHICS ADVISOR BLOG (Sept. 17, 2020), https://legalethicsadvisor.com/marketing-successful/.

 

• Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
• Cuban American Bar Association