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Overview

Jessica Icerman is a Shareholder in the Land Development, Zoning & Environmental group and is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in City, County, and Local Government Law*.  She represents clients before local and state governments and in litigation on land use and land development issues. She has experience representing clients in a broad range of matters involving variances, rezonings, permitting, licensing, comprehensive plan amendments, and entitlements.

Prior to joining the firm, Jessica served as an Assistant County Attorney in the Leon County Attorney’s Office.  In this role, she represented the county with a focus on land use, code enforcement and local government law. She also served as an advisor for several county departments and divisions, including Development Services Division, Environmental Services Division, Code and Permit Services, Planning Department, and County administration. 

She also was an associate in private practice and was a law clerk in the City of Tallahassee City Attorney’s Office.

*With less than 1% of eligible members certified in City, County, and Local Government Law, board certification is The Florida Bar’s highest level of evaluation of a lawyer’s competence and experience in a particular area of practice. It identifies lawyers with "special knowledge, skills and proficiency, as well as a reputation for professionalism and ethics." To achieve certification, a lawyer must endure rigorous examination and testing and be evaluated by their peers.

Representative Experience

  • Successfully overturned a local government decision denying the grandfathering of an intensive commercial use, paving the way to achieve a favorable rezoning of the property.
  • Lead counsel in obtaining and successfully defending a challenge to a favorable zoning determination letter.
  • Successfully represented owner of a commercial shopping plaza in City of St. Pete Beach administrative appeal by neighbor challenging a nonconforming use of the property, which lead to neighbor also voluntarily dismissing sister lawsuit.
  • Represented an affordable housing developer in obtaining a brownfield area designation for an affordable housing project in the City of Tallahassee during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team coordinated an in-person and virtual community meeting that included a team of consultants and members of the public as well as two virtual public hearings to obtain the brownfield area designation. The designation allowed the developer to take advantage of both state environmental clean-up programs and financial incentives.
  • In her capacity as Assistant County Attorney in the Leon County Attorney’s Office:
    • Lead attorney on major local government issues, including medical marijuana, cell towers in the rights-of-way and revising the sign code
    • Represented Leon County in quasi-judicial hearings
    • Defended Leon County in appeals of County decisions

Professional & Community Involvement

  • St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, 2020-Present
    • Board of Governors, 2023-Present
    • Chair, Housing, Land Use and Development Committee, 2024
    • Public Policy Council, 2020-Present
    • Vice Chair, Sustainability Committee, 2021
  • St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership St. Pete (LSP), Class of 2024
  • Tampa Bay Builders Association, 2019-Present
  • The Florida Bar, City, County and Local Government Law Section, Chair of the Social Media Subcommittee, 2021-2023
  • Urban Plan Institute, Volunteer, 2018-2020
  • Guardian ad-Litem, Volunteer, 2017-2021
  • Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL), Executive Board, 2017-2020
  • FSU College of Law Women’s Law Symposium, Mentor, 2016-2020
  • Florida Association of County Attorneys, 2015-2019
    • Chair, Growth Management Committee, 2018-2019
    • Amicus Curiae Committee, 2017-2019
    • Cell Tower-ROW Task Force, 2017

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch, 2021-Present
  • Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite, Up & Comer, 2020
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2023

Publications & Presentations

Publications: Gas Plant District: Mixed-Use Development Essential for Transformative Success
St. Pete Chamber of Commerce|February 2024

Events: Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act: Settling Local Land Use Disputes
CLE International’s Florida Land Use Law Conference|August 2023

Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: What's Developing | Summer 2023
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2023

Affordable Housing News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: Live Local Act Signed Into Law
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2023

Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Proposes Significant Updates to Comprehensive Plan
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|October 2022

Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Proposes Significant Updates to Comprehensive Plan
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2022

Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: What’s Developing | Spring 2022
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2022

Land Development News Update, Publications: Spring Brings an End to Freezing Temperatures— and an Opportunity to Extend Your Development Permits
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2022

Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: What’s Developing | Winter 2022
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|February 2022

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Publications: Crème de law Admin | Winter 2021
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|February 2022

Land Development News Update, Publications: Pasco County Expands Multi-Family Moratorium while Hillsborough County Plans to Extend Another Moratorium
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|February 2022

Government & Administrative News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: City of Tallahassee Proposes “Glitch” Revisions to Land Development Code
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|September 2021

Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 State of Emergency Lapses: Extend Your Permits NOW
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2021

Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Studying Comprehensive Plan Updates to Facilitate Affordable Housing
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2021

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 25
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|March 2021

Land Development News Update, Publications: What's Developing | Winter 2020-2021
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|January 2021

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 24
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update |January 2021

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 23
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update |December 2020

Events: Legal and Regulatory Status of Urban Agriculture in Florida
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences|November 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: City of Tampa Holds Important Workshop on Changes in Land Use and Development Policies
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|November 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: What's Developing | Fall 2020
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|October 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 22
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update |October 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 21
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|September 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 20
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|September 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 19
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|September 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 18
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|August 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID Legal Compass | Edition 17
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 16
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 15
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|July 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 14
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|June 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 13
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|June 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 12
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|June 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 11
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|June 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 10
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 9
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2020

Events: Socially-Distanced Local Government w/ Jessica Icerman
REGULATED Podcast|May 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Edition 8
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | COVID-19 Updates | Edition 7
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | COVID-19 Updates | Edition 6
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|May 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | COVID-19 Updates | Edition 5
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

COVID News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Forges Ahead to Consider Doubling Development Fees During COVID-19 Era
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Timely and Significant COVID-19 Updates | Edition 4
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Timely and Significant COVID-19 Updates | Edition 3
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: What's Developing | Spring 2020
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Timely and Significant COVID-19 Updates | Edition 2
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2020

COVID News Update, Government & Administrative News Update, Government Affairs News Update, Land Development News Update, Publications: COVID-19 Legal Compass | Timely and Significant COVID-19 Updates
Stearns Weaver MIller News Update|March 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Sets Aggressive Twelve Program to Remake Development Policies - and Increase Fees
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|February 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: Hillsborough County Continues Discussion on Changes in Land Use and Development Policies to Prepare for Smart and Sustainable Growth
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|January 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: Major Land Use and Development Policies Discussions Continue in Hillsborough County
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|January 2020

Land Development News Update, Publications: Major Evolution in Land Use and Development Policies Ahead in Hillsborough County
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|December 2019

Land Development News Update, Publications: What's Developing | Winter 2019-2020
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|December 2019

Events: Environmental and Land Use Law at a Glance
ELULS of the Florida Bar|October 2018

Events: Competent Substantial Evidence Before Local Government: Heated Discussion
ELULS/Administrative Law Section of the Florida Bar Advanced Hot Topics Seminar|April 2018

Events: Local Government Policy and Law
FSU College of Law Democratic Law Student Association|October 2017

Publications: Will the Silvicultural Exemption Survive? An Update on Northwest Environmental Defense Center V. Brown
ABA Forest Resources Committee Newsletter|June 2012

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