About J. Kevin
J. Kevin Hayslett began his legal training at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, earning his Juris Doctor in 1987. He entered the profession at a time when courtroom experience often came first. That early legal education laid a steady groundwork for a long career that has crossed both state and federal lines.
He cut his teeth in public service as an Assistant State Lawyer in Florida's 6th Circuit. The role placed him inside prosecutorial offices where case preparation and courtroom procedure were daily concerns. That experience provided him a practical view of trial practice and an understanding of how cases move from charging decisions through adjudication.
Beyond prosecutorial work, Hayslett has been active in legal education. He has served as a facilitator for the Criminal Justice Institute and for SPJC. Those teaching roles involved working with lawyers and law students on advocacy skills and trial techniques. They also kept him connected to evolving courtroom practices and to lawyers at various stages of their careers.
Hayslett is admitted to practice before the Eleventh Circuit and in the state of Florida. Those admissions reflect a practice that spans trial courts and appellate work. He has handled matters that required appearances in both state venues and in federal appellate settings.
Much of Hayslett’s practice has been concentrated at Carlson, Meissner, Hayslett P.A., where he is a longtime member of the firm. The firm name appears repeatedly across his professional listings, and it has been the primary base for his private practice work. Over the years he has balanced litigation, courtroom preparation and client counseling from that office.
Colleagues and former students know him from both the courtroom and the classroom. His work as a facilitator underscores an interest in passing on practical skills, and his years as an Assistant State Lawyer gave him a tangible sense of how cases are prosecuted and defended. Those threads run through his career and shape the way he approaches matters in practice.
He currently practices at Carlson, Meissner, Hayslett P.A., and continues to represent clients in proceedings in Florida and before the Eleventh Circuit.
