Welcome to the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

 

Our chapter has a rich history. It held its first meeting on August 27, 1959, and since then has played a pivotal role in the Miami legal community. We bring lawyers and judges together to educate the bar, inform our citizens, and inspire the lawyers and judges of tomorrow.

 

In The Tempest, William Shakespeare wrote the famous line, “What’s past is prologue,” meaning that our history shapes our future. In that spirit, during my presidency this year, I aim to draw on our district’s rich past by educating lawyers and the community at large about the great judges and lawyers who helped make the Miami federal legal community one of the strongest in the country. One way we will do this is through our chapter’s initiative: The Portrait Project. At the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami, beautiful portraits of past and present judges of our district hang on the courthouse walls. But because many of these judges served long ago — and because the names on some portraits are difficult to read from ground level — litigants and visitors to the courthouse are often unable to fully appreciate the legacy these portraits represent.

 

Beginning in October, we will share high-resolution photographs of these portraits through our chapter’s social media platforms and other outlets. Each photograph will be accompanied by a short biography that includes the judge’s name, the President who appointed them, their years of service, and a notable opinion or order with which they are associated. By celebrating these jurists and their accomplishments, we hope to preserve our district’s history and remind our lawyers of their power to shape the future.

 

I look forward to serving you this year.

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