About Steven
Steven Bell took an unconventional route into law. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 with a B.A. in advertising, then turned to legal studies at Nova Southeastern University, earning his J.D. in 2004. The combination of communication training and courtroom preparation shaped how he approaches cases: strategic, direct and attentive to detail.
His early legal work began in public defense. In 2003 he served as a certified legal intern at the Broward County Public Defender's office. The following year he became managing supervisor of the juvenile division there. Those positions put him in courtrooms and meeting rooms with young clients and their families. They also gave him day-to-day experience handling client intake, plea negotiations and the demands of trial preparation.
After leaving the public defender's office he moved into private practice. He was a partner at Ruiz, Bell, Clayman, LLC beginning in 2007. In 2008 he worked as a lawyer for The Ticket Clinic, A Law Office, handling traffic and related matters. By 2013 he had taken on a partner role at Meltzer & Bell, P.A. His career path shows a steady movement from public defense to private firms where criminal and traffic defense intersect.
Bell is active in professional organizations. He holds membership in the Florida Bar Association and the Federal Bar for the Southern District. He is part of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and belongs to the National Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a membership he has held since 2015. He also participates in the Palm Beach Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, serving on its judicial committee, and is a member of groups focused on DUI defense and related legal advocacy. His involvement ranges from local bar activity to national defense organizations.
Colleagues describe his courtroom approach as concise and pragmatic. He handles a broad mix of criminal matters and traffic-related cases. Over the years he has advised clients at various stages of proceedings: arrest, pretrial negotiation and trial. The breadth of his experience includes juvenile matters from his early years in public defense and adult criminal defense work in private practice.
He continues to practice in Florida and maintains his partnership at Meltzer & Bell, P.A. Today his work centers on criminal defense and traffic-related cases, including DUI defense and representation in state and federal court.
