Florida Supreme Court Certified
Certified Circuit Civil Mediator & Trained Arbitrator — Jacksonville, Florida
FL Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator
Trained Arbitrator
AV Peer Review Rated Since 1997
30 Years Civil Trial Litigation
Over 20 Years Certified Mediation
Biographical
Member of the Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Evening Mediations Available Upon Request
Penny W. Schmidt is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and Trained Arbitrator with 30 years of civil trial litigation experience. Schmidt earned Florida Bar admission in 1992, circuit civil mediator certification in 2003, and Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating — the highest peer-assessed rating available — in 1997, a standing she has maintained without interruption.
Professional Background
Schmidt spent 30 years as a civil trial litigator before transitioning to full-time mediation — so attorneys who select Schmidt bring cases knowing she has litigated comparable matters in Florida circuit courts from both sides of the table.
Schmidt began her legal career in Fort Myers, Florida, as an Associate Attorney at Fuller & Minor, P.A., a civil litigation firm where she developed her foundational practice in personal injury, insurance coverage, and commercial disputes. She later became a partner at Minor & Schmidt, P.A., before relocating to Jacksonville with her husband in 1997.
In Jacksonville, Schmidt joined Schutt, Schmidt & Noey as a partner, where she spent years as a full-time civil trial litigator handling personal injury and wrongful death claims, trucking litigation, insurance coverage disputes, complex commercial litigation, construction defect litigation, contract and business litigation, and appellate matters.
That litigation career — spanning 30 years and both plaintiff and defense representation — forms the evidentiary foundation of her mediation practice today. Attorneys arrive at sessions with confidence that Schmidt has evaluated comparable facts from both sides of a courtroom.
Associate Attorney
Fuller & Minor, P.A.
Fort Myers, FL
Civil litigation: personal injury, insurance coverage, commercial disputes
Partner
Minor & Schmidt, P.A.
Fort Myers, FL
Continued civil litigation practice; elevated to partnership
Partner
Schutt, Schmidt & Noey
Jacksonville, FL (1997–2000)
Personal injury, wrongful death, trucking, insurance, commercial, construction defect, appellate
Academic Record
Schmidt received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. She graduated with Honors from St. Thomas College of Law, where she served as Chairman of the Moot Court Board and earned American Jurisprudence Book Awards in 5 subjects: Civil Trial Advocacy, Appellate Advocacy, Evidence, Wills and Trusts, and Taxation. The legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi named her Graduate of the Year for the State of Florida.
The Florida Bar admitted Schmidt in 1992. She became a certified circuit court mediator in 2003 — a certification requiring completion of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center's training requirements and ongoing continuing mediator education under Florida Rule for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators 10.100 (2024).
She holds separate certification as a Mediator for the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, and has served as a Special Master and Umpire in Florida circuit court proceedings.
Undergraduate Degree
J.D. with Honors — Chairman, Moot Court Board
Graduate of the Year, State of Florida
Civil Trial Advocacy · Appellate Advocacy · Evidence · Wills & Trusts · Taxation
Admitted 1992
Certified 2003 — Florida Dispute Resolution Center
Certified Mediator
Florida Circuit Court Proceedings
Academic Contribution
Schmidt served as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law for over a decade, teaching Alternative Dispute Resolution and Trucking Regulation and Litigation to law students entering the profession. She now teaches as an adjunct professor at Jacksonville University College of Law.
Her classroom work gives her sustained engagement with the next generation of Florida civil litigators — attorneys who now appear across from her at the mediation table.
Schmidt has lectured to professional organizations across Florida on mediation practice topics, including presentations titled:
"Getting More out of Mediation than Just a Settlement"
"A Paralegal's Guide to Help Prepare Your Attorney for Mediation/Arbitration"
Both topics reflect the preparation-focused approach Schmidt applies at Jax Mediation Center.
Professional Standing
21 Civil Dispute Categories
Schmidt holds over 20 years of certified mediation experience across 21 civil dispute categories. Her litigation background in each area informs how she evaluates cases, identifies impasse, and guides parties toward resolution.
Schmidt mediates personal injury and wrongful death cases, business and contract disputes, landlord-tenant and HOA matters, and construction disputes for attorneys, insurers, businesses, and individuals across Jacksonville, Duval County, and statewide Florida. Evening mediation sessions are available on request.
Common Questions
Schmidt earned circuit civil mediator certification in 2003 after completing training requirements through the Florida Dispute Resolution Center and meeting standards set forth in Florida Rule for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators 10.100 (2024). She maintains certification through ongoing continuing mediator education required by Florida Supreme Court rules.
Schmidt practiced as a civil trial litigator for 30 years before transitioning to full-time mediation. Her litigation career spanned Fort Myers and Jacksonville, included partnerships at Minor & Schmidt, P.A., and Schutt, Schmidt & Noey, and covered personal injury, trucking, insurance coverage, commercial, construction defect, and appellate matters on both plaintiff and defense sides.
Schmidt has held the Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating — the highest peer-assessed rating for legal professionals, reflecting evaluations by fellow attorneys and judges of legal ability and ethical standards — continuously since 1997, spanning her active litigation practice and her transition to full-time certified mediation in Jacksonville.
The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals is a peer-nominated organization limited to mediators and arbitrators who meet strict practice and reputation standards in the ADR community. Membership requires invitation by existing members and reflects recognition by the professional community — not self-designation or fee-based enrollment.
Schmidt holds certified mediation experience across 21 civil dispute categories: personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, trucking, nursing homes, real property, landlord/tenant, HOA, construction defects, commercial/business, contract disputes, debt collections, insurance, ADA disability, appellate, automotive, lemon law, libel and slander, probate, product liability, and torts across Jacksonville and statewide Florida.
Yes. Schmidt served as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law for over a decade, teaching Alternative Dispute Resolution and Trucking Regulation and Litigation. She has also lectured to professional organizations across Florida on mediation preparation, including guidance for attorneys and paralegals on maximizing mediation outcomes in Florida civil cases.
Schmidt holds certification as a circuit civil mediator and a separate certification as a Mediator for the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Circuit civil mediator certification authorizes her to conduct mediations ordered by Florida circuit courts under Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.700 (2024) — covering the full range of civil disputes filed at the circuit level.
Jax Mediation Center is located at 2700 University Blvd W, Suite A-1, Jacksonville, FL 32217. Schmidt serves clients across Jacksonville, Duval County, St. Johns County, Clay County, and the state of Florida. Virtual mediation sessions are available, and evening mediation sessions can be scheduled by calling (904) 224-7044.
Yes. Schmidt has served as a Special Master and as an Umpire in Florida circuit court proceedings — roles in which courts appoint a neutral to make findings or resolve specific disputes within a case. These appointments reflect judicial recognition of her standing as a neutral in Florida's civil court system.
Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediators operate under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators, enforced by the Florida Supreme Court's Dispute Resolution Center. Schmidt is also bound by the ethical standards of the Florida Bar (1992) and the conduct guidelines of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators and the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediators Society.
Penny is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator and Trained Arbitrator with nearly 20 years of mediation experience and over 30 years in civil trial litigation.
Copyright © 2025 Penny Schmidt. All rights reserved.
