By Walter Villa, Special to STU
Elaine Carbuccia’s grandfather – who was a political prisoner — was sentenced to life in jail by the Fidel Castro regime.
After Carbuccia’s grandfather’s sentence was commuted in the 1970s, the family fled to South Florida. That is where Carbuccia went to a public high school, Western.
Since age 14, Carbuccia worked odd jobs, and she used that money to attend Broward Community College.
Carbuccia graduated from BCC and then Nova Southeastern University before working as a paralegal to be able to afford law school.
Finally, after getting rejected by other law schools, Carbuccia was accepted to St. Thomas University.
Now, while still in her 30s, you can call her by a slightly different name:
Judge Carbuccia.
To be sure, she is grateful.
“I’m here, sitting in chambers,” Carbuccia said to this reporter, “because St. Thomas gave me a shot.”
Carbuccia is so grateful, in fact, that she is part of STU’s stellar Board of Advisors for the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law.
Indeed, the Honorable Tarlika Nunez-Navarro, who was named the dean of STU’s law school in July of 2023, has put together an incredible team. Her Board of Advisors is unique in that it is comprised exclusively of graduates of STU’s law school.
The team includes:
- Carlos Santistaban, Chief of the Board of advisors;
- Ricky Patel, Vice Chair of the Board of Advisors;
- Isis Pacheco Velasco, Secretary of the Board of Advisors;
- Judge Yara Lorenzo Klukas, Chair of Alumni Relations;
- Frances De La Guardia, Chair of Career Development and Placement;
- And the aforementioned Carbuccia, Judicial Affairs Advisor.
“As we establish an executive board for our law school’s Board of Advisors, we affirm our commitment to nurturing a legacy of excellence and thoughtful succession,” said Dean Nunez-Navarro, who is also a graduate of STU’s law school.
“This initiative is not just about governance. It is about creating a framework that ensures our future legal leaders are equipped with the insights, mentorship, and resources they need to thrive.
“Together, we are laying the groundwork for a resilient and innovative legal community that will serve justice for generations to come.”
Pacheco Velasco, who is also the Vice President of Interamerican Bank, graduated from STU’s law school in 2007.
Nearly two decades later, STU is still a point of pride for Pacheco Velasco.
“I have always wanted to give back to my alma mater and our law school,” Pacheco Velasco said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Advisors, especially with such esteemed colleagues.
“The fact that all of us went through those three hard years of law school at St. Thomas adds even more meaning to being on this board.
“We all want to see St. Thomas succeed.”
Carbuccia, who said she is the only STU graduate to serve as a Broward County judge, said that one of her goals is to get more active lawyers and judges to come to STU to work as adjunct professors or to devote their time as guest speakers.
“We want more involvement from the judiciary so that our students have exposure to the possibilities of a career in the law,” Carbuccia said. “I think students need to learn from more real-life experiences.”
Carbuccia stressed the importance of teaching students how to think instead of what to think.
“The law is such a noble profession if we treat it that way,” she said. “You have to advocate. You have to have courage and stand for something.”
The Carbuccia family knows all about courage. After moving to the U.S., they started all over, and it was not easy.
Carbuccia had the bare essentials and nothing more.
For example, she drove her grandfather’s 1993 Ford truck until it gave out in 2016, the year she graduated from law school.
By then, that truck had more than 300,000 miles.
Similarly, STU’s College of Law has had to scrap its way to the top.
When Carbuccia graduated from law school, STU’s bar passage rate was just 44 percent.
This past July, STU’s bar passage rate of 83 percent was the highest in school history.
Carbuccia said there are three things you have to worry about while in law school:
1: Do not flunk out.
2: Keep your student loans low.
3: Pass the bar.
“When you have those three things aligned, you will get a job, and everything will work out,” she said. “But it would be absurd if helping students pass the bar is not the No. 1 priority of a law school.
“If the school is unable to help more than half of its students pass the bar, then it is not accomplishing what it sets out to do.
“Passing the bar is literally the point of a law school. If it were just to study law, you could take a class as an undergrad and just have arguments with people online while pretending to be a lawyer.
“We go to law school to become lawyers. How do you become a lawyer?
“You pass the bar.”
Carbuccia said the key to passing the bar is being academically prepared but also mentally tough.
Having a great dean to lead the law school does not hurt, either.
“Dean Navarro really cares about St. Thomas,” Carbuccia said. “Since she arrived, St. Thomas has been making big moves.
“It’s so exciting. Now when people talk about St. Thomas’ law school, there’s instant respect.”
