Future of Law School Leadership: Innovation & AI | The Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro
Thu Dec 18 2025
Meet the Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro, a former judge and the current Dean of St. Thomas University College of Law. Tarlika shares her journey from childhood spent among Florida ranches and tennis courts to the bench and the Dean's Office has shaped her approach to fearless leadership.
Host Adam Rossen sits down with Tarlika to explore how her background as a competitive athlete at IMG Academy informs her mission to train law students like elite competitors. Tarlika discusses her "outsider" status in academia and why she made the bold choice to leave a prestigious seat on the bench to tackle the challenges of modern legal education: from bar prep to the integration of AI.
Emphasizing the importance of maintaining work-life harmony, Tarlika shares her vision for St. Thomas Law, emphasizing the need for students to think critically and prepare for a legal landscape that is rapidly evolving through technology.
00:00 - Meet Dean Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro
02:30 - From a Florida ranch to IMG Academy
06:00 - Training law students like elite athletes
08:45 - The philosophy of "failing forward"
14:30 - Gap vs. Gain: Finding work-life harmony
23:00 - Why she left the bench for St. Thomas Law
42:30 - Embracing AI in the legal profession
53:00 - Advice for fearless success
🔥About the Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro
Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro is the Dean of St. Thomas University College of Law and a former Circuit Court Judge for the Seventeenth and Ninth Judicial Circuits of Florida. With an extensive background as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, she brings a practical, "real-world" perspective to legal education. Under her leadership, the school has significantly elevated its profile and rankings in legal academia by achieving record enrollment, and attaining the highest July bar passage rate in its history. She is recognized for her competitive spirit, focus on student mental health, and her commitment to making St. Thomas a premier institution for the next generation of trial lawyers.
🔗 https://www.stu.edu/law/faculty-staff/faculty/tarlika-nunez-navarro/
✉️ tnuneznavarro@stu.edu
Want to be a guest on the show?
📩 Send us an email at marketing@rossenlawfirm.com
Connect with Adam on LinkedIn👋 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrossen/
Learn more about Adam & the Rossen Law Firm at https://www.rossenlawfirm.com/
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Meet the Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro, a former judge and the current Dean of St. Thomas University College of Law. Tarlika shares her journey from childhood spent among Florida ranches and tennis courts to the bench and the Dean's Office has shaped her approach to fearless leadership. Host Adam Rossen sits down with Tarlika to explore how her background as a competitive athlete at IMG Academy informs her mission to train law students like elite competitors. Tarlika discusses her "outsider" status in academia and why she made the bold choice to leave a prestigious seat on the bench to tackle the challenges of modern legal education: from bar prep to the integration of AI. Emphasizing the importance of maintaining work-life harmony, Tarlika shares her vision for St. Thomas Law, emphasizing the need for students to think critically and prepare for a legal landscape that is rapidly evolving through technology. 00:00 - Meet Dean Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro 02:30 - From a Florida ranch to IMG Academy 06:00 - Training law students like elite athletes 08:45 - The philosophy of "failing forward" 14:30 - Gap vs. Gain: Finding work-life harmony 23:00 - Why she left the bench for St. Thomas Law 42:30 - Embracing AI in the legal profession 53:00 - Advice for fearless success 🔥About the Honorable Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro is the Dean of St. Thomas University College of Law and a former Circuit Court Judge for the Seventeenth and Ninth Judicial Circuits of Florida. With an extensive background as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, she brings a practical, "real-world" perspective to legal education. Under her leadership, the school has significantly elevated its profile and rankings in legal academia by achieving record enrollment, and attaining the highest July bar passage rate in its history. She is recognized for her competitive spirit, focus on student mental health, and her commitment to making St. Thomas a premier institution for the next generation of trial lawyers. 🔗 https://www.stu.edu/law/faculty-staff/faculty/tarlika-nunez-navarro/ ✉️ tnuneznavarro@stu.edu Want to be a guest on the show? 📩 Send us an email at marketing@rossenlawfirm.com Connect with Adam on LinkedIn👋 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrossen/ Learn more about Adam & the Rossen Law Firm at https://www.rossenlawfirm.com/