Heather Forgét

Heather Forgét started her law career in 2006 as a civil prosecutor for the Office of the Attorney General in Tampa. Ms. Forgét then gained experience as a contract attorney in litigation support for multinational complex civil litigation.  At her private state trial practice which focused on family law and dependency type matters. In 2011, Ms. Forgét agreed to return to public service as a court-appointed defense attorney for the Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel – 2^nd District, Tampa where she managed a high-volume caseload and earned three promotions within four years. Her position as Lead Senior Trial Attorney and daily court appearances allowed her to strengthen her knowledge in civil litigation to become one of the foremost expert litigators in the field of dependency and termination of parental rights in Florida.

Ms. Forgét work with the Office of Regional Counsel led her to her next appointment as a court-appointed civil litigator and Heather became one of a limited number of Florida attorneys authorized to litigate civil postconviction and federal habeas corpus petitions on behalf of clients sentenced to death. Ms. Forgét is currently licensed to represent clients in both state and federal court, including the Florida Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals, and The Supreme Court of the United States.

Heather earned her undergraduate degrees in Criminology and Journalism with Honors at the University of Florida. She earned a Masters of Arts in International Politics, Communication, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution with High Honors from American University’s School of International Service, in Washington D.C. At Stetson University College of Law, Ms. Forgét graduated in the top five in her class.

An avid pet lover, Heather’s family includes a dog and a cat, with frequent foster pets joining them through the Guardian Angel Dog Rescue, where she volunteers as an attorney and spokesperson.