Jeff Bristol is a Florida native; born in Tampa, raised in Jacksonville and finished his schooling in Gainesville. After graduating from Gainesville High School, he left Florida to serve in the Army as a linguist. He is a veteran of both the US Army and Navy (don’t ask him who he roots for on a certain weekend in December; that’s privileged information!), serving as an NCO in one and a commissioned officer in the other. He deployed to Afghanistan as a soldier and worked in Iraq as a civilian. This experience gives him the drive to get the mission accomplished, the discipline to see it through and the courage to deal with hard situations and even harder people.
After the military, he decided to switch gears and became an academic, earning his M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies and Ph.D. in Anthropology. He gave lectures both at conferences and in the classroom, taught hundreds of college students and wrote more papers than he cares to remember (some of which even got published, though he doubts anyone ever reads them). This experience honed his reasoning abilities, rhetorical skills and gives him a verbal edge in arguments that is hard to match.
Finally realizing he needed to settle down and make some money, he went to law school at the University of Michigan. Since Michigan was a bit cold, he came back home to Florida to begin his legal career and raise his family near his people who live throughout the southeast, but mostly in Florida and Louisiana. His start in the law was at the Pinellas County Public Defender’s office where he dealt with tough clients, tough cases and occasionally even tougher judges (who can be the trickiest of the three!). Despite all that, he made it through and even helped some people, carrying forward a client-first attitude that inspires confidence and provides comfort in even the tightest legal corner.
Whenever his work and family leave him time, Jeff likes to continue his research as an anthropologist, working as an independent scholar. He’s also an avid sportsman (more of a player than a watcher). He enjoys boxing, rowing and squash as well as outdoor sports.