Joseph C. Shoemaker

Biography

I grew up in Lakeland, Florida, in a family of six brothers.  My brothers and I played nearly every sport imaginable and my parents spent a ton of time travelling with us to countless practices and games.  I joined the United States Marines at the age of 17.  After a “paid vacation” at Parris Island and a year of training at NAS Memphis to be an avionics technician, I was assigned to work on the Harrier attack plane at VMA-231, the Marine Corps’ oldest squadron, at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina.  During my six years in the Marines, I travelled to Spain, Sicily, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and many different parts of the United States.  I spent time deployed at sea on an Italian Aircraft Carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi, and received commendation for my service during Operation Desert Storm.

After my service, I returned to Florida and attended Polk Community College, the University of South Florida and, ultimately, the University of Florida, where I obtained my law degree.  I started my legal career working as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Martha Lott in Gainesville and thereafter worked for several respected law firms on business litigation, local government law, employment litigation, real estate litigation, and many other areas.  I joined Bogin, Munns & Munns in 2004 and, over the years, have had the pleasure of representing a great number of clients in many diverse areas of law.  I regularly meet with clients in about five of the firm’s thirteen offices and greatly enjoy both my work and the many interesting people I get to meet and assist.

I have always enjoyed solving complicated problems and working with people.  This is a profession that allows me to do both.  After spending time as a U.S. Marine, I considered several areas including engineering, education, and law enforcement.  I honestly do not know which area I would have ultimately chosen, but I think I made the right choice and genuinely enjoy what I do.  I take pride in being able to explain involved legal issues in simple everyday language.  I legitimately enjoy helping people and I am often able to do so.  Folks are rarely happy when they first come to see me as a litigation attorney.  Of course, we cannot always help every person resolve every issue, but it is greatly satisfying when we are able to help and we can often provide helpful information, real world options, and peace of mind to those facing difficult problems.

When I am not at work, I spend much of my time with my wife Amy and my five sons.  My family and I enjoy spending time together watching movies, playing video and board games, going to the beach, attending sporting events, visiting local parks, and getting free food samples during our weekly trips to Costco and Sam’s Club.  I am a huge fan of Florida Gator and Dallas Cowboys football and of classic rock music, with a collection of more than a thousand albums.  In addition to chasing our sons and spending time at their schools, my wife spends a great deal of time in various activities related to our church and faith.