Bruce Zimet has been a fixture in the South Florida legal community for over thirty-six years. After earning his Juris Doctor from the American University Law School in Washington D.C., where Mr. Zimet was a member of the Law Review, Mr. Zimet began his professional career as a Broward County Public Defender. In Mr. Zimet’s first month at the Public Defender’s Office he was selected to be the second chair Public Defender in a high profile homicide case of a law enforcement officer. Mr. Zimet’s subsequent success at the Public Defender’s Office earned him an appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida. Mr. Zimet’s nearly six years as a federal prosecutor culminated with Mr. Zimet being selected as the Chief Assistant United States Attorney for the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach U.S. Attorney Offices.
Bruce Zimet
While at the U.S. Attorney Office, Mr. Zimet investigated, indicted and tried numerous high profile cases. Mr. Zimet was profiled in an April 5th, 1981 newspaper article titled “Zimet for the Prosecution – Losing Cases is Not his Style”. When Mr. Zimet resigned from the Department of Justice he received numerous accolades from federal agencies, including a personal letter from the Director of the FBI.
Mr. Zimet opened his law firm in 1984 in Fort Lauderdale and has represented clients in numerous high profile cases in federal and state courts. Mr. Zimet’s experience has allowed him to represent clients at all stages of the criminal process from pre-investigation through trial and appeal. Mr. Zimet has also represented clients in several civil trial cases
Mr. Zimet’s trial experience is the foundation of his law firm’s practice. Mr. Zimet’s trial experiences have allowed him to evaluate and assess his client’s cases, and provide clients with a comprehensive analysis of their case. Mr. Zimet strongly believes that his clients need to be well informed in order to make decisions concerning the disposition of their cases.
Mr. Zimet has represented scores of individuals under investigation by federal or state agencies. Many of those investigations resulted in no charges being filed against Mr. Zimet's clients. Likewise, many clients who have been charged with offenses have chosen to have their cases proceed to trial. Several of the trial successes can be found under “Significant Cases”. In addition, Mr. Zimet has served as co-counsel in several complex civil cases, which are also listed in the “significant cases” section.
In addition to Mr. Zimet’s practice, he has taught attorneys and law students trial practice skills at the United States Department of Justice, the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and several law schools. Mr. Zimet has lectured and participated in seminars conducted by the federal and state bar associations. Mr. Zimet previously served on the Rules Committee of the Southern District of Florida as well as a Magistrate – Judge Rentention committee. Mr. Zimet has also authored a law review article concerning criminal law appellate decisions.
Mr. Zimet has volunteered for several cases on a pro bono basis. The most recent pro bono matter involves the case of State of Florida vs Marissa Alexander in which Mr. Zimet is prosecuting a criminal appeal based on Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground Law. Mr. Zimet is also regularly contacted by the media for comments concerning significant legal matters.
Mr. Zimet firmly believes that being an attorney provides the unique opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in the lives of others. Mr. Zimet takes that responsibility seriously and views each client’s case as a new opportunity to make a difference.