Altanese Phenelus is an Assistant County Attorney in the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office. Altanese has practiced in the Zoning, Land Use and Environmental Section as well as the Tort Liability and Medical Malpractice Section. During that time, she successfully argued two appeals before the Third District Court of Appeal, one concerning a constitutional challenge to Miami-Dade County’s environmental regulations, and the other involving issues of notice and sovereign immunity.


Altanese currently practices in the Aviation Division of the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, where she litigates commercial and construction disputes and provides counsel on transportation matters. She is stationed at the Miami International Airport. She handles airport-related procurements from bidding to award, argues debarment proceedings, advises clients on security and property-related matters, drafts contracts, and litigates various cases on behalf of the airport. She also works with the Board of County Commissioners and staff to provide legal advice and to prepare and review ordinances and resolutions on behalf of the Board.


Altanese earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Juris Doctor from Florida International University (FIU). While at FIU College of Law, Altanese was awarded the Haitian Lawyers Association Scholarship.  Altanese served on the executive board of the FIU Law Review as the President of the National Conference of Law Reviews. She also won the FIU Law Moot Court Competition and had the distinction of arguing before senior circuit judges of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals as well as the then chief judge of the Third District Court of Appeal.  She then joined the FIU Law Moot Court Board.


In addition to her service on the FIU Law Review executive board and the FIU Law Moot Court Board, Altanese interned and clerked. She was a judicial intern to the Honorable Marcia G. Cooke of the United States District Court and clerked at the United States Attorney’s Office, Economic Crimes Section. She also clerked for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office before being offered a position as an attorney in the office.