Chief Judge Cecilia Maria Altonaga and Judge Miguel de la O named 2025 Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award co-winners
Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga
The Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism and the Standing Committee on Professionalism have named Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and Judge Miguel de la O of the 11th Judicial Circuit as co-winners of the 2025 William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award.
The annual award recognizes active judges who exemplify strength of character, service, and competence as a jurist, lawyer, and public servant.
Chief Judge Altonaga and Judge de la O “demonstrate the ideals of professionalism and justice while inspiring others to do the same,” according to the Center for Professionalism.
Altonaga’s judicial career, spanning almost three decades, is full of firsts. She was the first graduate of Florida International University to attend Yale Law School; first Cuban-American woman appointed to the federal district court; and the first woman and the first Cuban-American to serve as chief judge of the Southern District in its 175-year history.
She began her judicial career as a county court judge appointed by Gov. Lawton Chiles before being elevated to serve as a circuit judge by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated her to serve on the federal bench.
Chief Judge Thomas Logue of the Third District Court of Appeal, in nominating Altonaga, said she “is an exemplary model of how a legal professional can be civil yet effective … [E]very generation needs to see examples of lawyers and judges modeling professionalism. That is what Bill Hoeveler did. And that is what Cecilia Altonaga does.”
Altonaga has been a firm supporter of the FIU Law School since its opening in 2001, having served on its advisory board during early on and as an invocation speaker, and she continues to promote professionalism as a moot court competition judge and offer FIU students opportunities for internships, according to the nomination statement.
Logue went on to note Altonaga treats everyone with respect under the law, which he attributes to the influence of her father, a lawyer and diplomat in Cuba who fled the communist regime with his family before she was born, and persisted for a decade until he was able to return to the profession in the U.S.
“Honoring Judge Altonaga thus honors the generations of Cuban exiles who ultimately committed and contributed so much to our common nation,” wrote Logue.
Altonaga’s commitment to civility and professionalism is exemplified by her 2012 decision to disqualify a firm from a class action lawsuit based on unethical conduct displayed by a lawyer and defended by the firm in a tone-deaf doubling down that minimized the behavior as status quo. Logue praised Altonaga’s decision, saying her “no-nonsense decisions display crystal-clear prose, intellectual command of the substantive law, profound legal insight, and common sense.”
“As a young attorney, I had the privilege of appearing before and successfully co-trying a case before Judge Hoeveler, with Judge Logue as my trial partner,” said Judge Altonaga. “Years later, I would be in the enviable position of calling the esteemed Judge Hoeveler my colleague and friend on the court on which I have now served for over 20 years. To this day, Judge Hoeveler is revered for his professionalism, integrity, and excellence. It is truly an honor to receive this award.”
This year marks the first time that the award is being conferred on two judges.
Judge Miguel De la O
Judge de la O commented regarding the honor, “Having both appeared before Judge Hoeveler and socialized with him, I know three things. He was sui generis; he was as good a person as he was a judge; and receiving an award named after him will be one of the greatest recognitions I will ever receive. I am honored and deeply grateful that The Florida Bar has chosen me to receive such a prestigious award. I hope I can live up to the example Judge Hoeveler set for all judges.”
Judge de la O practiced law in Miami for over 20 years before his election as a circuit judge in 2012. He attended Florida State University, graduating cum laude with degrees in political science and criminology, and served as an editor on the FSU Law Review. After law school, he worked for Steel Hector & Davis and for Sonnett, Sale & Kuehne. In 1994, he co-founded de la O & Marko. Before joining the bench, de la O was an AV-rated trial and appellate lawyer and tried more than 50 cases to jury verdict.
De la O has presided over more than 180 civil and criminal jury trials. He serves on the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee which provides advisory ethics opinions to Florida judges concerning the Canons of Judicial Conduct and is a member of the Florida Supreme Court’s Criminal Court Steering Committee. Judge de la O is on the faculty of the Circuit Court Conference, Advanced Judicial Studies, and New Judges School, and has taught trial advocacy as an Adjunct Professor at the Florida International University College of Law.
Judge de la O has been a longtime, active member in his community since well before joining the bench. He served on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners for 10 years, including one year as chair. He chaired the City of Miami Civil Service Board for eight years. Judge de la O also served on the City of Miami Community Relations Board, Charter Review Committee, and Nominating Committee for the Civil Investigative Panel, and on the boards of the Human Services Coalition, People with AIDS Coalition, and the Dade County Bar.
“Judge de la O is and has always been the model of professionalism, treating everyone with dignity and respect,” said Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie. “He is the gold standard. He is who we all aspire to be when it comes to judicial temperament. He is always prepared and on time and he manages his courtroom perfectly. He has been recognized by the League of Prosecutors and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers that represent the lawyers who practice before him as an excellent judge.”
Seven of his colleagues on the bench joined Chief Judge Sayfie in nominating Judge de la O for the award.
The William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award, and other professionalism awards, will be presented at Annual Judicial Luncheon at The Boca Raton during The Florida Bar Annual Convention.
