Cynthia Ariel Conlin

In 2010, after litigating at a downtown Orlando firm, Cynthia Conlin founded her own law firm with a desire to serve clients on a more personal and direct level. One of the things that drew Cynthia to practicing law was the desire to serve people. The practice of law, stripped to its core, means helping people. In practice, Cynthia spends her days helping clients. Before law school, Cynthia wore several hats, including journalist, graphic designer, publisher, and entrepreneur. From her diverse creative and business background, she was quickly drawn to areas of copyright law, defamation, Internet law, and business law. Cynthia has grown her practice to focus on litigation and enjoys the relationships she forms with her clients. Her firm, Cynthia Conlin & Associates, works as a team and focuses on all aspects of litigation. When she is not in law school, Cynthia enjoys Irish culture and is a founder of the Irish American Chamber of Commerce Florida. She also enjoys Toastmasters, Orlando City Soccer, and spending time with friends and family.

Florida A&M University College of Law

J.D. (2007)

2004 - 2007

Honors: Cum Lade

Activities: Law Review, Student Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta, Women's Law Caucus

University of Central Florida

B.A. (2002) | Journalism (News/Editorial)

2002

Lead Attorney

Cynthia Conlin & Associates

2010 - Current

Law firm founder.

Orange County Bar Association

Current

Federal Bar Association

Current

Florida

Since 2007

11th Circuit

• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Most agreements will be based on a billable hour, but in some cases we do flat fees. As of 2016, my rate is $285 an hour. The firm works as a team, however, and each attorney's billing rate varies depending on experience.

Q. Can you sue a family member for defamation or do they have different rules?

May 5, 2017

A: You can file a lawsuit against anyone. The rules are the same. However, the outcome, the stress, and experience can be very different when the defendant is a family member. Often, lawsuits should be considered as a last result.

Q. Is it true that it's harder for public figures to sue for defamation?

December 2, 2016

A: Yes it is a little harder because public figures have more factors to prove. The courts tend to distinguish between two types of Plaintiffs in defamation actions: “private individuals” and “public figures.” The difference in the way they are treated depends on the Defendant's knowledge in publishing the defamatory content. Private individuals need only establish that the publisher acted with "negligence." However, where public figures are concerned, the courts have found that there is a lessened interest in protecting the defamed subject's reputation. Therefore, public-figure plaintiffs must allege a higher level of knowledge.

The United States Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) established that a public figure plaintiff must establish what is known as “actual malice.” To show actual malice, the person who published the statement either had to have known that the statement was false, or published it with reckless disregard despite awareness of the probable falsity. The existence of actual malice must be proven by clear and convincing evidence. ... Read More

Q. What should I do if I don't get the letter of settlement before my 2nd pretrial?

October 2, 2016

A: I'm guessing that you're talking about a small claims case. First, why not call whoever it was whom you made the payment arrangements to and ask them why you haven't received the settlement letter. Also, as Mr. Thorgaard answered, when you go to the pretrial conference, explain it to the court and to Plaintiff's attorney. Good luck.