ORANGE PARK — The Town Council continued to its interviews with five law firms to select the next town attorney. 

It's an important position because the attorney's client is the town itself — specifically, the council members and municipal administrators. 

Florida Rep. Sam Garrison (R-Fleming Island) occupied the position for nearly 10 years. He stepped down to prepare for his anticipated upcoming role as Florida's House Speaker for 2026. 

Garrison was succeeded by Town attorney Jody Brooks last October, and Brooks' last day will be Aug. 6. She was selected to be JEA’s chief administrative officer. 

Five law firms introduced their prospective town attorney candidates for Orange Park:

Paul Waters is a partner with the Vose Law Firm. He serves as City Attorney for the City of Bunnell, the county seat of Flagler County, and provides legal counsel to other municipalities.  He earned his J.D. from the Florida Coastal School of Law and lives in St. Augustine. "This is with me all the time," he said, holding up his cell phone during the interview. "We'll make ourselves available to you and your staff."

Lawsikia Hodges is with Smith, Gambrell & Russell. "Law" is literally in her name. She currently provides counsel in real estate and government affairs. When she was 10 years old, she moved with her mother to the Orange Park area.  She graduated with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and was the former deputy general counsel for City of Jacksonville. Hodges has an energetic, proactive approach and points to her faith as a source of inspiration. 

Stephanie Marchman is with GrayRobinson. She earned her J.D. also from UF and served as an assistant city attorney for Gainesville for more than a decade. Throughout her career, she acquired skill sets in land use and land development issues, litigation and municipal bonds. Marcham offered a "team approach" with another attorney at GrayRobinson, who described himself as a "local government junkie."

Jeremiah Blocker, an attorney at Douglas Law Firm, was a familiar face. He currently serves as the School Board attorney for Clay County District Schools and helped author the district's new media policy for challenging books. He previously served as chairman of the St. Johns County Commission and has previously talked about his experience serving in the military. "It shapes you," he said during the interview about being awarded a Bronze Star. After his military service, he earned his J.D. also from FCSL. In his legal career, his practice areas are civil and criminal litigation, and real estate and land use.

Rob Graham is with Burr & Forman, a firm which has previously worked with Jody Brooks.  Graham received his J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law. He conveyed a witty personality during the interview by cracking a few jokes. He learned he was moving to Florida "still wearing his suit" from taking the Virginia Bar Exam. He shared how he "thanked Lebron James" for helping secure a favorable settlement in his early legal career.  He is a self-described litigator by trade but said he exhausts all options to resolve issues before it gets to that point. "My job is to make you look good," he told the Town Council.