IIla Klion, a native of South Florida, left a career in restaurant management to attend Florida International University, where she received her B.A. in Political Science. Thereafter, she entered St. Thomas University School of Law where she graduated as valedictorian of her law school class. While attending St. Thomas, Professor Klion was the Editor-in-Chief of the St. Thomas Law Forum, a member of the Honor Court, and a mentor to incoming first-year law students. She received several “book awards” and was awarded the “West Publishing Company Award for Outstanding Scholarship” each of her three years in law school.

After graduation, Professor Klion served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable James R. Jorgenson with the State of Florida, Third District Court of Appeals. She then entered private practice as a Litigation/ Appellate Associate. For seventeen years, Professor Klion specialized in appellate practice from both sides of the bench. As an Appellate Associate in a local law firm she wrote briefs and/or argued before Florida’s First, Second, Third, and Fourth District Court of Appeals, as well as before the Florida Supreme Court. She has also written briefs for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Immediately prior to joining the FIU College of Law faculty, Professor Klion served as a career attorney to the Honorable Melvia B. Green, of the Third District Court of Appeals.