Why preserving judicial history matters
'Court documents and artifacts reflect how landmark decisions were reached and allow us to trace the court’s impact on the rules of law that govern Florida today.'
The historical marker in front of the Florida Supreme Court, funded by the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, commemorates the building’s legacy and landmark cases. The marker is part of the society’s ongoing efforts to preserve and share Florida’s judicial history during Historic Preservation Month and year-round.
The month of May is Historic Preservation Month, a time to celebrate the importance of protecting the historic places, documents, and artifacts that offer a tangible glimpse into the past. Historic preservation can foster a sense of identity and pride among residents of a community. It can also teach us valuable lessons, giving us a better understanding of how the present came to be and how we might shape the future.
Before and after of a restored en banc photo of the Florida Supreme Court justices from 1976.
As the president of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, I am proud of the work we have done to preserve our state’s judicial history and educate citizens about the court system’s vital role in our system of government. Some of our historic preservation efforts include:
- Archiving the former Florida Supreme Court justices’ chamber papers. With the help of these historically important papers – which include oral argument notes, draft opinions, correspondence and speeches – historians are better able to build the story of the court. In fact, the collection of papers served as a valuable resource for multiple books published by the Historical Society, detailing the history of the Florida Supreme Court from the early 1800s and forward. The court – with funding from the Historical Society starting in 2016 – moved the papers from overstuffed, acidic accordion folders to subdivided, archive-quality folders, ensuring the preservation of these documents for centuries.
- Facilitating the collection and restoration of historical Florida Supreme Court photographs. This includes the archiving of photo collections by legendary news photographers Donn Dughi and Mark Foley, who both captured front-row images of governors, legislators, and justices for decades. In 2022, the Historical Society began a project to restore the publicly displayed color en banc photos of the justices displayed in the official portrait gallery along the courtroom’s inner and outer walls. We’ve all heard that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and these photo collections are invaluable records of the court’s history.
- Celebrating the history of the Florida Supreme Court building and educating the public about its significance. The Historical Society funded the historical marker that stands in front of the court, outlining the history of the building and landmark cases that took place there. The society’s most recent issue of the Historical Review magazine celebrates the 75th anniversary of the court’s building and features articles about its construction, architectural elements, and renovations through the years.
Preserving the history of the Florida Supreme Court is essential to understanding the evolution of Florida’s court system. Court documents and artifacts reflect how landmark decisions were reached and allow us to trace the court’s impact on the rules of law that govern Florida today.
If you would like to be part of the Historical Society’s important work, I encourage you to become a member of the society through your Florida Bar Fee Statement or by joining at https://flcourthistory.org/Join-FSCHS.
The society is continually seeking historically significant documents or images from past Florida Supreme Court justices. If you know of documents or photographs that should be considered for preservation, contact Historical Society Executive Director Mark Miller at [email protected] or call 850-385-3098.
