Member Profile: Justice Ben F. Overton

	Justice Ben F. Overton Upchurch, Watson, White & Max 1060 Maitland Center Commons, Suite 440 Maitland, FL 32751 Tel: (800) 863-1462 Fax: (407) 661-1123 Website: www.uww-adr.com	View Printable Resume GoogleMaps for this Location View Available Dates Calendar

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BIOGRAPHICAL:

Justice Overton was the first Florida Supreme Court Justice to be selected under the merit selection process (effective January 1, 1973), which was designed to remove politics from Florida's judicial system and improve the quality of the state's courts. He was appointed by Governor Reubin Askew in 1974 and was the senior member of the Supreme Court, prior to his retirement in 1999. During his tenure as Chief Justice (1976-78), fourteen Citizen Dispute Settlement Centers were implemented. While Chief Justice, he was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices and was chair of the conference's Special Committee on Cameras in the Courtroom and Judicial Education. The standards adopted by those committees have now been implemented in most states. In addition, Justice Overton was Chair of the Supreme Court Matrimonial Law Commission (1981-86), whose recommendations on mediation, arbitration, and equitable distribution have been substantially adopted by the Florida legislature and the Supreme Court. He was also Chair of the Florida Family Court Commission (1990-91). The Commission's recommendations for an establishment of a family court division were implemented, and he served as the liaison for Family Court Rules.

Justice Overton has been a judicial officer of this state for more than thirty-four years and a Justice of the Supreme Court for more than twenty-four years. Before his selection as a Justice, he served for nearly ten years as a circuit judge, both in the civil and criminal divisions of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, and was the chief judge of that circuit for three and one-half years. In 1973, he was chair of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges.

EDUCATION:

• J.D., The University of Florida College of Law
• LL.M. in Jurisprudence, University of Virginia

Memberships & Affiliations

• The National Judicial College, Faculty Member (1968-77) and Member of Board of Directors (1976-87)
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation.
• Former Chair, The Florida Bar CLE Committee
• Former Chair, Florida Court Education Council
• Former Chair, US Constitution Bicentennial Commission of Florida
• Former Chair, Judicial Council of Florida
• Awarded the Tradition of Excellence Award in 1995 by the General Practice Section of The Florida Bar.
• Guardian of the Constitution Award in 1992
• The Florida Bar Medal of Honor, 1984
• Featured in Fall 1995 edition of Florida Lawyer magazine: "Justice Overton: A Supreme Influence on Florida Law & History"
• Adjunct Professor, University of Florida College of Law, 2001, 02, 04, 06.

Rates

Justice Ben F. Overton is a member of the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society, Florida's premier roster of distinguished attorney-mediators. The FCCMS profile includes more specific local information, such as counties and regions served, and can be visited directly at www.floridamediators.org/ben-overton