After studying and working in Washington, D.C.; New York City; Charlotte, North Carolina; and New Orleans, Louisiana after high school, Clarissa Harrell returned to Brevard County to build her legal career. She maintains an avid interest in issues related to operation of the county's legal system, county development, the public school system, law enforcement, and local politics. She has been an active member of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee since 2010.
Ms. Harrell's favorite community cause is Sally's House, supported by Sally's Friends, a group dedicated to maintaining a residential facility and support services to assist women struggling with drug addiction, and to help them care for their babies and young children.
She is a past member of the Board of Directors of The Brevard Ballet Theatre and remains a staunch admirer of the Galmont Ballet Centre for Dance Education [visit the Galmont website, www.galmontballet.com], as well as of the Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra, Paula Ribnicky's Play Piano With Me, Linda Utz's violin lessons program, Advantage U Tutoring Services in Suntree, and the Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy school community.
She is also an avid fan of Cape Coast Volleyball in Rockledge and Coach Gartrelle's "Big City Basketball" clinics. Her firm has in the past been a repeat sponsor of the Suntree-Viera Youth Football and Cheerleading League [visit the SVYFL website located at www.svyfl.com] as well as the Viera-Suntree Little League Association [visit the VSLL website at http://eteamz.active.com/vsll/index.cfm].
Over the course of her career, Ms. Harrell has had a passion for legal education projects in local schools. She coached Palm Bay High School's team for several years when the program was first launched, supporting the talented students in attaining multiple Circuit Championships, and accompanying them to Tallahassee for State Competition. In October 2006 Ms. Harrell was invited to be the Team Leader for DeLaura Jr. High School as part of the Justice Teaching Initiative spearheaded by Justice Fred Lewis of The Florida Supreme Court, and by Judge Lisa Davidson of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. In the spring of 2007, these teams of lawyers and judges, and many others throughout the county, presented an interactive legal education program to the eighth-grade students.
Other involvement in local legal education has included assisting students in their preparation for the state "We the People" competition (on Constitutional issues); coordinating and judging the circuit high school mock trial competitions; conducting teacher inservices on legal instruction; and assisting Justices of The Florida Supreme Court with their local educational presentations. Ms. Harrell was nominated to receive The Florida Bar's Medal of Honor for her involvement in legal education in 2004; recognized with a "PAY Star" for her contributions to Juvenile Services (1997); awarded the Florida Law Related Education Justice Award (1996); and awarded the Youthful Offender Deterrent Project Award (1995). Palm Bay High School has twice recognized her contributions with its annual Citizenship Awards (2001-2002).
She also briefly worked as an adjunct professor and occasional guest speaker at the college level, teaching legal courses at both the University of Central Florida and Brevard Community College, including Family Law and Parterships & Corporations.
Ms. Harrell occasionally has time to speak to various community groups about her experiences in the legal profession. On several occasions she has been invited to speak at the regular courthouse seminar conducted to assist parties who are considering handling their cases on their own, or who otherwise want to learn more about the divorce process. In the Spring of 2006 she conducted a comprehensive divorce seminar at The Brevard Women's Center. In January 2004 she was honored to address the membership of the Brevard Paralegal Association on the topic of legal and ethical issues related to child testimony in criminal and civil proceedings. In the Fall of 2003 she was a featured guest speaker on The Saturday Law Review call-in radio program presented by WMEL 920, the "Talk to Me" station, hosted by Bill Mick and attorney Aaron Lyons.