In law school, I studied under Professor Patricia Dore, author of Florida’s Administrative Law (Chapter 120, Florida Statutes). I also worked part time for Robert M. Rhodes, who was a partner with the law firm of Messer, Rhodes, Vickers & Hart.
I won my first administrative law case as a senior law student at FSU College of Law. When I went to register for my senior year, I was charged an extra $25 “late fee” because I had not preregistered during the summer session during which I had taken one course (appellate law taught by Chief Justice Arthur England). The law school had circulated an announcement at the law school notifying students of this new policy.
I filed a petition with the Division of Administrative Hearings asserting this policy was in fact a rule subject to Chapter 120’s rule making procedures. The hearing officer agreed with me. A few days after the decision was rendered, I was interviewed at by a newsreporter from the Tallahasse Democrat. Her article was published on the front page. Instead of appealing the decision, the law school ordered a refund to all the students who had to pay the $25 fine.
Upon finishing courses at FSU College of Law I started a company with a classmate Walter Smith and his wife. For a year and a half we went to the various executive agencies and published their orders in a soft-bound publication called Division of Administrative Hearings Reporter. Most of the agencies gratiously provided photocopies for free. However, the Secretary of State (which had by far the most administrative hearings) wanted to charge us a dollar a page. I filed petition with the Division of Administrative Hearings and presented evidence that the actual cost for photocdopying the orders was five cents a page.
Another classmate of mine George Sheldon also assisted me in this endeavor. Mr. Sheldon was a representative with the Florida Legislature. I presented him with a proposed amendment to section 120.53, Florida Statutes which authorized each agency to designate an “official reporter” which would be responsible for publising and indexing all agency’s orders. Mr. Sheldon arranged to have my languate inserted in Chapter 79-799, which made several other revisions to Chapter 120 and was enacted into law. Unfortunately, we were never able to convince any of the multiple agencies from giving us that designation.