Member Profile: Norman S. Gerstein

	Norman S. Gerstein Norman S. Gerstein P.A. Offices At Grand Bay Plaza 2665 South Bayshore Drive Miami, FL 33133 Tel: 786-363-5615 Fax: 786-363-5615 Website: www.normangerstein.com	View Printable Resume GoogleMaps for this Location View Available Dates Calendar

ADR Services Include:

Mediation; Arbitration; Discovery Referee; Special Master; Insurance Umpire

Appellate Commercial/Business Condominiums Contract Disputes Debt/Foreclosure Family Businesses

Insurance International Landlord/Tenant Legal Malpractice Personal Injury Police

Probate Professional Malpractice Professional Negligence Trusts / Estates

BIOGRAPHICAL:

For 39 years Norm Gerstein has dedicated his life to the interests of justice and to the needs of the South Florida community. On January 31, 2010 he retired from the Circuit Court after twenty nine years of service as a Judge, and is now a successful Mediator, Arbitrator, Special Master and Umpire in Insurance disputes.

He was a highly respected and admired judge throughout his judicial career, and presided over numerous celebrated and high profile trials. He has been recognized as a life long advocate for the rights of children and persons with disabilities. After graduating from the University Of Miami School Of Law in 1973, he served with the Dade County Public Defender's Office from 1973 to 1981. Norm represented and advocated on behalf of over one thousand developmentally and mentally ill children and adults committed to State Institutions. Many of these institutions were considered very inhumane, overcrowded and understaffed. For his efforts on behalf of persons with disabilities, he was appointed to the State Wide task for implementation of the Bill Of Rights for Retarded Persons, and received numerous awards, which included the Friend of the Retarded Award from the Association for Retarded Citizens and the Humanitarian award from the Sunland Center for Retarded Persons.

In 1981, he was appointed to the County Court by Governor Bob Graham at the age of 31. Following a successful career as a County Judge, Norm was appointed to the Circuit Court in 1986. He has served over 29 years on the court and has literally been assigned to every division of the court. He has consistently earned extremely high ratings in the Dade County Bar Association’s annual Judicial Bar poll every year since 1981.
   
Norm’s service on the court has only been a part of his service to our community. Norm Gerstein has worked with many community organizations, and has served on numerous boards, including The Children’s Trust, Children’s Home Society, and the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention, the Florida Bar’s Committee on the legal needs of Children, The Supreme Court’s Committee on Court Related Needs of Children, The Elderly and Persons with Disabilities, and Hands on Miami. He is the founder and President of Summer Fun for Kids, a private not for profit organization which has provided community activities, summer placements and field trips for nearly a thousand at risk children.

Norm Gerstein has been awarded numerous community and humanitarian awards throughout his career including the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Community Service Award and their lifetime Achievement Award, the Guardian Angel Award from the NFL YET center at Gwen Cherry Park, the Justice Harry Lee Anstead professionalism award, The Judge Wilkie Ferguson Advocacy Award, The Heart Award from the Boys and Girls Club of Miami and the Community Service Award from both the City of Miami and the City of South Miami.

EDUCATION:

• 2011 APPELLATE MEDIATION TRAINING
• 2011 FAMILY MEDIATION TRAINING  (Florida Supreme Court Certification Course)
• 2011 CIRCUIT/CIVIL MEDIATION TRAINING
  (Florida Supreme Court Certification Course)
• J.D. University of Miami, School of Law - Coral Gables, FL - 1973
• B.A. - Rollins College, Winter Park FL - 1970

Memberships & Affiliations

• 2011 - Present The Coral Gables Trust, Board Member
• 2011 - Member -National Academy of Distinguished Nuetrals
• 2004 - 2009 The Children’s Trust Miami-Dade County
• 2002 - Present Summer Fun For Kids, Inc., President and Founder
• 2000 - 2005 Hands on Miami Board of Directors
• 2000 - 2002 The Florida Bar Commission on the legal Needs of children Commission Member
• 1998-2008 Addiction Services Board, Miami-Dade County
• 1996-Present Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment, Board of Directors
• 1995-1999 Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges
  Executive Committee
• 1995 Leadership Florida Class XIV
• 1995 Supreme Court Committee on Court Related Needs of Children, the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities.
• 1993-2001 Children’s Home Society. Board of Directors
• 1992 Advocacy Center Inc. , Board of Directors

Honors & Awards:

• Dedicated Service Award - American Board of Trial Advocates
• Justice Gerald Kogan Judicial Distinction Award - Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Lifetime Achievement Award - Greater Miami Jewish Federation
• Judge Wilkie Ferguson, Jr. Advocacy Award - Easter Seals Miami Dade
• The Heart Award - Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami
• Justice Harry Lee Anstead Professionalism Award - Dade County Trial Lawyers Association

Rates

Norman S. Gerstein 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/norman-gerstein