Alexis Fulton, a recent graduate of Florida State University College of Law, has made significant strides in elder law advocacy through her involvement with the university’s Public Interest Law Center. During her time at FSU from 2022 to 2025, Fulton participated in the Claude Pepper Elder Law Clinic, an interdisciplinary program focused on supporting low-income older adults via legal services and community education.
Under the guidance of Rima Nathan, director of the Elder Law Clinic, Fulton initiated the Elder Domestic Violence Assistance Project in 2025. The project aims to increase support for older survivors of domestic abuse—a subject she believes lacks sufficient public attention.
“This issue within the intersection of elder law and victims’ rights advocacy was really brought to my attention when I was a law student within the Elder Law Clinic,” said Fulton. “Professor Rima Nathan came to me to work on a benchbook on elder domestic violence to assist judges working on these cases. I came with a knowledge of domestic violence advocacy, but there was a lot of research to be done into the nuances that impact domestic violence advocacy when you’re representing elder survivors.”
While at FSU, Fulton also engaged in pro bono work for Legal Services of North Florida. She contributed research for Florida’s Elder Abuse Benchbook for the Office of the State Courts Administrator and developed professional connections through FSU’s Public Interest Law Center.
Now serving as a staff attorney with Legal Services of North Florida, Fulton continues collaborating with students from FSU’s Elder Law Clinic and handles cases related to elder domestic violence. Reflecting on her experiences and challenges faced by elderly survivors, she noted:
“What I’ve seen in this sphere is there is an inclination to define something as either domestic violence or elder abuse without acknowledgment of the intersection and the overlap that happens there,” she said. “There’s this kind of dismissiveness of abuse when it is either purely financial in nature or is perpetrated by one’s caregivers as being less impactful. Another challenge is when survivors have less capacity to communicate what’s happened to them. That’s an obstacle that can really be exacerbated by the public’s perception of elder survivors.”
Fulton further explained some difficulties elderly victims encounter: “There are nuances involved in representing somebody that might be dealing with cognitive decline because of age, but oftentimes, there’s trauma that impacts people’s ability to recall things as well,” she added. “Aging as well as trauma impacts one’s ability to advocate for themselves.”
She credits her experience at FSU’s Public Interest Law Center for preparing her professionally and encourages current students to participate actively: “I would encourage current FSU law students to engage with as many of our public interest law clinics as their schedule allows,” said Fulton. “It was one of the most valuable things I did in law school.”
Fulton selected FSU Law due largely to its focus on public interest work and highlights mentorships formed during her studies as instrumental both personally and professionally.
“Having a legal education is a huge privilege in this world,” she said. “I encourage everyone to engage in pro bono work, and to also explore public interest as a potential career path. It doesn’t have to just be a hobby, because there are ways to have really fulfilling and meaningful careers rooted in public interest law.”
Further information about programs offered by FSU College of Law can be found at https://law.fsu.edu/.
