This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Florida. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in Florida's history
Susan H. Black: First female county (1973), circuit (1975) and federal court (1979) judge in FloridaRosemary Barkett: First female Justice (1985) and Chief Justice (1992) of the Florida Supreme CourtBarbara Lagoa: First Hispanic American female Justice of the Florida Supreme Court (2019)
Law School
First female law graduate: Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt (c. 1908)[1]
Susan C. Bucklew:[72][73] First female appointed as a Judge of the Hillsborough County Superior Court (1982) and circuit court judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida (1986)
Angeline Weir (1960):[26] First female County Solicitor in
Broward County, Florida. She was also the first female President of the Broward County Bar Association (1983-1984).[77]
Mildred S. Akerman (1956):[26] First female elected judge in Broward County, Florida (1959)
Elizabeth Athanasakos (1957):[26] First female municipal judge in Broward County, Florida (1964–1974)
Barbara Bridge (1964):[26] First female judge of the County Court in Broward County, Florida (1972)
Mary Rudd-Robinson:[78] First African American female judge in Broward County, Florida (1993)
Florence Taylor Barner:[79] First Haitian American (female) judge in Broward County, Florida
Natasha DePrimo:[80] First Asian American female judge in Broward County, Florida (2019)
Alison Smith:[81] First Black female to serve as the President of the Broward County Bar Association (2021)
Cynthia Everett:[82] First female (and African American) to serve as the City Attorney for
Fort Lauderdale, Florida [Broward County, Florida]
Pauline Drake:[83] First African American female to serve on the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court (1998)[84] [
Clay,
Duval and
Nassau Counties, Florida]
Maria Ruhl:[43] First Hispanic American female (and Hispanic American in general) appointed as a Judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (2019) [
DeSoto,
Manatee, and
Sarasota Counties, Florida
Carolyn House Stewart:[90] First African American female to serve as the Assistant State Attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (1980) [
Hillsborough County, Florida
Arthenia Joyner (1969):[91] First African American female lawyer in Hillsborough County, Florida
Josephine Howard Stafford:[15][92] First female to serve on the Municipal Court of Tampa, Florida (1958) [Hillsborough County, Florida]
Vivian Corvo:[51] First Hispanic American female circuit judge in Hillsborough County, Florida
Marva Crenshaw:[51] First African American female circuit judge in Hillsborough County, Florida
Gwen Cherry (1965):[95] First African American female lawyer in Dade County, Florida
Mattie Belle Davis:[13][96] First female to serve on the Metropolitan Court of Dade County (1959), Florida
Janet Reno (1963):[61] First female to serve as a State's Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida (1978)
Kathy Fernandez Rundle:[97] First Cuban American (female) to serve as a State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida (1993)
Dixie L. Herlong Chastain:[13] First female appointed as a judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Dade County, Florida. She was also the sixth female judge in Florida.
Bertila Soto:[98] First Hispanic American/Cuban American (female) to serve as the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in
Miami-Dade County, Florida (2013)
Abigail Price Williams (1985):[99] First female to serve as the County Attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida (2015)
Lody Jean:[46] First Haitian American (female) to serve on the Miami-Dade County Court (2020)
LaShawnda K. Jackson:[103] First Black (female) President of the Orange County Bar Association (2021)
Gabrielle Sanders:[104] First African American female (and African American in general) judge in
Osceola County, Florida (2019)
Anne E'del Deacon:[13] First female municipal judge in Palm Beach, Florida and fifth female judge in Florida [
Palm Beach County, Florida
Catherine Brunson:[105] First African American female lawyer to work for the Palm Beach County Attorney’s Office (1977), set up a law practice (1984), and to serve on the Circuit Court in Palm Beach County (1994)
^The Florida Women's Bar Association mistakenly identified Marian Borros (1926) as the first Hispanic female lawyer in the state. It was determined by Atencio (2023) that Borros was actually of Danish-Swedish descent.
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Florida. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in Florida's history
Susan H. Black: First female county (1973), circuit (1975) and federal court (1979) judge in FloridaRosemary Barkett: First female Justice (1985) and Chief Justice (1992) of the Florida Supreme CourtBarbara Lagoa: First Hispanic American female Justice of the Florida Supreme Court (2019)
Law School
First female law graduate: Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt (c. 1908)[1]
Susan C. Bucklew:[72][73] First female appointed as a Judge of the Hillsborough County Superior Court (1982) and circuit court judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida (1986)
Angeline Weir (1960):[26] First female County Solicitor in
Broward County, Florida. She was also the first female President of the Broward County Bar Association (1983-1984).[77]
Mildred S. Akerman (1956):[26] First female elected judge in Broward County, Florida (1959)
Elizabeth Athanasakos (1957):[26] First female municipal judge in Broward County, Florida (1964–1974)
Barbara Bridge (1964):[26] First female judge of the County Court in Broward County, Florida (1972)
Mary Rudd-Robinson:[78] First African American female judge in Broward County, Florida (1993)
Florence Taylor Barner:[79] First Haitian American (female) judge in Broward County, Florida
Natasha DePrimo:[80] First Asian American female judge in Broward County, Florida (2019)
Alison Smith:[81] First Black female to serve as the President of the Broward County Bar Association (2021)
Cynthia Everett:[82] First female (and African American) to serve as the City Attorney for
Fort Lauderdale, Florida [Broward County, Florida]
Pauline Drake:[83] First African American female to serve on the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court (1998)[84] [
Clay,
Duval and
Nassau Counties, Florida]
Maria Ruhl:[43] First Hispanic American female (and Hispanic American in general) appointed as a Judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (2019) [
DeSoto,
Manatee, and
Sarasota Counties, Florida
Carolyn House Stewart:[90] First African American female to serve as the Assistant State Attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (1980) [
Hillsborough County, Florida
Arthenia Joyner (1969):[91] First African American female lawyer in Hillsborough County, Florida
Josephine Howard Stafford:[15][92] First female to serve on the Municipal Court of Tampa, Florida (1958) [Hillsborough County, Florida]
Vivian Corvo:[51] First Hispanic American female circuit judge in Hillsborough County, Florida
Marva Crenshaw:[51] First African American female circuit judge in Hillsborough County, Florida
Gwen Cherry (1965):[95] First African American female lawyer in Dade County, Florida
Mattie Belle Davis:[13][96] First female to serve on the Metropolitan Court of Dade County (1959), Florida
Janet Reno (1963):[61] First female to serve as a State's Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida (1978)
Kathy Fernandez Rundle:[97] First Cuban American (female) to serve as a State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida (1993)
Dixie L. Herlong Chastain:[13] First female appointed as a judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Dade County, Florida. She was also the sixth female judge in Florida.
Bertila Soto:[98] First Hispanic American/Cuban American (female) to serve as the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in
Miami-Dade County, Florida (2013)
Abigail Price Williams (1985):[99] First female to serve as the County Attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida (2015)
Lody Jean:[46] First Haitian American (female) to serve on the Miami-Dade County Court (2020)
LaShawnda K. Jackson:[103] First Black (female) President of the Orange County Bar Association (2021)
Gabrielle Sanders:[104] First African American female (and African American in general) judge in
Osceola County, Florida (2019)
Anne E'del Deacon:[13] First female municipal judge in Palm Beach, Florida and fifth female judge in Florida [
Palm Beach County, Florida
Catherine Brunson:[105] First African American female lawyer to work for the Palm Beach County Attorney’s Office (1977), set up a law practice (1984), and to serve on the Circuit Court in Palm Beach County (1994)
^The Florida Women's Bar Association mistakenly identified Marian Borros (1926) as the first Hispanic female lawyer in the state. It was determined by Atencio (2023) that Borros was actually of Danish-Swedish descent.