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Top-Ranked Civil Rights Lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.27 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked civil rights lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida are Scot Dale Goldberg (LexRank 80.00), Gonzalo Alberto Gayoso (78.60) and Sawyer Charles Smith (77.60).

This ranking lists 7 civil rights lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 1 to 36 years in practice. 2 of the 7 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
7
Fully verified
7 of 7

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Scot Dale Goldberg

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 18.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  2. No change

    Gonzalo Alberto Gayoso

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 1.40 points behind #1, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 18.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    1.40 points behind #1 (Scot Dale Goldberg): Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  3. No change

    Sawyer Charles Smith

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.00 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 18.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    1.00 points behind #2 (Gonzalo Alberto Gayoso): Experience −2.4.

  4. No change

    Geraldo Francis Olivo III “Jerry”

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 70.40: strongest in Experience (20.4/30) and Data quality (10/10). 7.20 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 18.7)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    7.20 points behind #3 (Sawyer Charles Smith): Experience −7.2.

  5. No change

    Daniel Joseph Garza

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 65.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 4.80 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 18.7)

    4.80 points behind #4 (Geraldo Francis Olivo III “Jerry”): Experience −4.8.

  6. No change

    Brendan James Shearman

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 56.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (6/30). 9.60 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 18.7)

    9.60 points behind #5 (Daniel Joseph Garza): Experience −9.6.

  7. No change

    Kristina Marie Carman “Kristi”

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Civil Rights
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 49.80: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (1.2/30). 6.20 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 18.7)

    6.20 points behind #6 (Brendan James Shearman): Experience −4.8, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 7 profile pages71 facts for 7 lawyers

Civil Rights market in Fort Myers

LexRanked tracks 7 lawyers in civil rights law in Fort Myers, Florida. 7 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
7
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
7 of 7
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
17 years7 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Fort Myers

What sets these Fort Myers lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 7 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 1 to 36 (median 17)
Languages besides English Spanish (2)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Myers office address and civil rights as a practice area on record. It compares 7 civil rights lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in civil rights, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Civil rights claims in Florida run on short deadlines: a discrimination complaint to the Florida Commission on Human Relations is due within 365 days, and a federal EEOC charge within 180 or 300 days.

Rule What it means
Federal civil rights claims Anyone acting under color of state law who deprives a person of constitutional or federal rights is liable to that person (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
Attorney fees A court may award a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party in a civil rights case (42 U.S.C. § 1988(b))
Florida complaint deadline A discrimination complaint must be filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations within 365 days (Fla. Stat. § 760.11(1))
Commission review The commission decides within 180 days whether there is reasonable cause (§ 760.11(3))
Lawsuit after a cause finding A civil action must be filed within 1 year after the commission finds reasonable cause (§ 760.11)
Federal EEOC charge An employment discrimination charge is due within 180 days, or 300 days where a state or local agency also handles it (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1))
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Lee County is in Florida's Twentieth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in Florida?

Within 365 days of the discrimination, with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (section 760.11(1)). A federal EEOC charge is due within 180 days, or 300 days where a state or local agency also handles it.

Can I sue a police officer or government official for violating my rights?

Yes. Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a person acting under color of state law who deprives you of constitutional or federal rights is liable to you, subject to defenses such as immunity.

Who pays the lawyer in a civil rights case?

The court may award a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party (42 U.S.C. § 1988(b)), so many civil rights lawyers take cases on contingency.

How long do I have to sue after the commission finds reasonable cause?

1 year after the date of the commission's reasonable-cause determination (section 760.11).

Which court handles cases in Fort Myers?

State court cases in Lee County are heard in Florida's Twentieth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking civil rights lawyers in Fort Myers?

Yes. 2 of the 7 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

7 of the 7 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Scot Dale Goldberg, Gonzalo Alberto Gayoso, Sawyer Charles Smith, Geraldo Francis Olivo III “Jerry” and Daniel Joseph Garza and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Scot Dale Goldberg scores 80.00 and Gonzalo Alberto Gayoso 78.60, a gap of 1.40 points, mostly in data quality. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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