Former Justice James E.C. Perry and Retired Okaloosa Judge Patt Maney to highlight 50-Year Member and Senior Counselor Luncheon

Justice Perry
Former Justice James E.C. Perry and Retired Okaloosa Judge Patt Maney, a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, will be the featured speakers at the annual 50-Year Member and Senior Counselor Luncheon at the Annual Florida Bar Convention in Orlando.
The luncheon is set for Friday, June 21, at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek & Waldorf Astoria.
Perry and Maney are both 50-year members this year. Former Bar President Tod Aronovitz, also a 50-year member honoree, will give the invocation. More than 700 lawyers will be recognized from the class of 1974.
Perry was the 85th justice of the Supreme Court serving from 2009-2016. He is a native of New Bern, North Carolina, and was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Gov. Charlie Crist. Before his appointment, he served as a circuit judge in the 18th Circuit.
He attended Saint Augustine’s University, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Accounting. After serving in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, he went on to Columbia Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1972.
Justice Perry has been actively involved in many community activities. A dedicated father, Perry managed his son’s AAU basketball team, the SanLando Greyhounds, and played an active role in all their sports activities. Justice Perry’s commitment to improving children’s lives extends beyond his own family. As founder and president of the Jackie Robinson Sports Association, Perry built a baseball league serving 650 at-risk boys and girls — the largest in the nation. However, the association did more than coach baseball. Volunteers also served as mentors and provided free tutoring. In addition to his work with disadvantaged kids, Justice Perry served as captain of the Heart of Florida United Way Campaign and his firm served as general counsel for the Florida Chapter Branches of the NAACP. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Augustine’s University. Justice Perry has been a member of the Carter CME Tabernacle Church of Orlando for more than 30 years and is a former member of its Board of Trustees.
As an attorney, Perry was widely recognized for his legal skills and abilities. Prior to his appointment to the trial bench, Justice Perry was senior partner in the law firm of Perry & Hicks, P.A., where he specialized in civil and business law.

Rep. Patt Maney
Republican Rep. Maney of Shalimar, who is also a retired Army general, graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree and a commission in the Army as an infantry second lieutenant. After active duty for training, he returned to Kentucky and graduated from the Brandeis School of Law in Louisville in 1974.
Maney started to practice in Louisville. With all of one year experience, he relocated to Ft. Walton Beach and established a solo general practice. Over time, he focused on representing a bank and family law.
In 1989, Maney was appointed an Okaloosa County judge where he served for almost 29 years until mandatory retirement. In 2020, Maney ran for a vacant seat in the Florida House of Representatives. He prevailed over three primary opponents and a general election challenger. In the House, he has served on the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, the Civil Justice Subcommittee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Children and Families Subcommittee among others.
In the 2024 session, Rep. Maney worked with other lawyer-legislators to pass a major (but not complete) re-write of the Baker and Marchman acts.
Regarding his military service, upon release from active duty, he joined the Army Reserve and ultimately became a training company commander in Kentucky. After moving to Florida, then Capt. Maney joined a Civil Affairs unit in Pensacola. As a colonel, he had the privilege of serving as a brigade commander. For years he deployed frequently to Panama including Operation Just Cause. He also deployed to Haiti and Bosnia. As a colonel, Maney served in Bosnia for 10 months where he was assigned to the Office of the High Representative, an international peace implementation organization. He oversaw security for the tripartite presidency and attended meetings of the contact group of ambassadors.
Over the years, he was promoted to brigadier general, held a general officer command and then simultaneously served as deputy commander of the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) and deputy commandant of the JFK Special Warfare Center and School (Airborne).
In 2004, he deployed to Afghanistan for 17 months and served on the Ambassador’s Country Team at the U.S. Embassy. He worked with various Afghan ministers and coordinated U.S. and NATO support for the first free election of the nation’s leader in the five thousand year history of Afghanistan.
Maney almost paid the ultimate price in 2005 when the armored sport utility vehicle he was traveling in near Paghman, in the mountains above Kabul, struck an improvised explosive device that blasted the bumper, fender, and hood off of the SUV, and lifted the vehicle from the ground resulting in head, neck, and back injuries that included a concussion, bulging disc, chronic fatigue and pain, urinary problems, loss of balance, and 23 cracked teeth requiring dental implants.
Both 50-year members of The Florida Bar and senior counselors will be recognized during the event. The senior counselors program recognizes current active and inactive Florida Bar members in good standing who have practiced law for 50 years or more and have not previously been recognized by The Florida Bar for this accomplishment.