News Releases

11TH CIRCUIT JNC ANNOUNCES JUDICIAL VACANCIES

The 11th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission has been asked to provide Gov. Ron DeSantis with nominees for the vacancies on the 11th Judicial Circuit Court (one) and the Miami-Dade County Court (two) created by the enactment of SB 2508.

The Commission requests that interested candidates submit an application for consideration. Applicants must meet the qualifications described in Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution.

Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 22, 2025, as follows:

The “Judicial Appointment Application 2025” may be downloaded in pdf and word format.

(1) The original unredacted application shall be emailed in .pdf format to: [email protected] and [email protected].

(2) A redacted .pdf of the application shall be emailed to the following emails:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Personal information not subject to public disclosure—such as a social security number—shall be redacted as permitted by Section 119.071 of the Florida Statutes.

Untimely applications will not be considered. The filename for .pdf applications should be as follows: “FIRST NAME LAST NAME Circuit Application (redacted/unredacted),” “FIRST NAME LAST NAME County Application (redacted/unredacted),” or “FIRST NAME LAST NAME County and Circuit Application (redacted/unredacted),” as appropriate.

Applicants must strictly follow all requests and instructions in this Notice. Failure to do so could result in an application not being considered.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: To assist the Judicial Nominating Commission in its review of applications, all questions must be fully and completely answered. Applications must include current contact information, including e-mail addresses, for judges, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and references to facilitate the background investigation that will be conducted by the members of the Commission. Please print to .pdf in lieu of scanning where possible.

Include all letters of recommendation that the applicant wishes the Commission to consider. The letters shall be attachments to the original application and the redacted copy and shall be included with the application saved in the .pdf file. Any additional information that the applicant feels may be helpful to the Commission in assessing the applicant’s qualifications shall be included as attachments to the original application and redacted copy saved in the .pdf file.

The Commission strongly suggests that applications be submitted as soon as they are prepared and well before the deadline. Applicants granted an interview will be scheduled in the order in which applications are received.

After the deadline for submitting applications, the Commission will determine which applicants will be interviewed. At this time, it is anticipated that interviews will be conducted in person on Wed., Sept. 9, 2025, although this date is subject to change.

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION MEMBERS

Jesus M. Suarez (Chair)
Continental PLLC
255 Alhambra Cir., Suite 640
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-677-2707
[email protected]

Jordan Richardson (Vice Chair)
Heise Suarez Melville, P.A.
2990 Ponce de Leon Boulevard Suite 300
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-800-4476
[email protected]

Pedro Allende
305-482-3529
[email protected]

Scott M. Dimond
Dimond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A.
Offices at Grand Bay Plaza
2665 South Bayshore Dr., PH 2B
Miami, FL 33133
305-374-1920
[email protected]

Robert H. Fernandez
RHF Law Firm, LLC
2600 South Douglas Road, Suite 305
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-501-5011
[email protected]

Miguel Gonzalez
Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office
111 NW 1st St Ste 2810
Miami, FL 33128-1930
305-375-3332
[email protected]

Walter James Harvey
School Board Attorney’s Office
1450 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 400
Miami, FL 33132
305-995-1304
[email protected]

Hayden P. O’Byrne
United States Attorney’s Office, SDFL
99 N.E. 4th Street
Miami, FL 33132
305-961-9447
[email protected]

Eliot Pedrosa Jones Day
Miami, FL 33131-3072
305-714-9700
[email protected]

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