Aramis Ayala

Aramis Ayala is a humanitarian, civil rights advocate, cancer survivor, and former Florida State Attorney who has dedicated her life to pursuing justice. She is a mother, wife, and daughter of a Vietnam War veteran who grew up with parents who stressed the importance of hard work, faith, and service from a young age. As Florida’s first Black State Attorney and a fierce death penalty opponent, she has made local and national headlines for her courage and proven leadership. In 2017 she received the NAACP Civil Rights Champion of Justice Award and was recently named “an agent of change” in a cover story for the American Bar Association Journal. This year she was just named the Champion of Justice by Harbor House of Central Florida for her work in the fight against domestic violence.  

Following her 4-year term as State Attorney, Aramis joined the faculty in the Legal Studies Department at the University of Central Florida as an Assistant Professor.  Prior to running for office, she served as a homicide and major crimes Assistant State Attorney and as an Assistant Public Defender. She has also held positions as an adjunct professor of law at Florida A&M University School of Law, as a legal analyst, and as the chairperson of the Citizens Police Review Board for the City of Orlando. She is a past president of several local and state bar associations and served as a Florida Bar Board of Governors Ex-Officio Member. On a national level, she was the regional director for the National Bar Association and was appointed to chair the Pro Bono and Public Service Committee of the National Bar Association.