State Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the JBA’s member luncheon Feb. 16 at the Marriott Jacksonville Downtown, formerly the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.
“It is important for the JBA to hear from the head of our judicial branch. It’s a big deal,” said JBA President Michael Fox Orr.
Orr expects Canady will discuss the state courts’ response to challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic and possibly, some of the recent opinions by the court.
Opinions were issued Jan. 27 concerning changes to the Rules of Appellate Procedure and changes to the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar related to law school deans’ authority in the certification of certain law students.
Canady was born in Lakeland in 1954.
He received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College in 1976 and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979.
Canady practiced law with Holland & Knight in Lakeland from 1979-82, then with the Lane, Trohn law firm until 1992.
From November 1984 to November 1990, Canady served three terms in the state House of Representatives. He then was elected to four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 1993 to January 2001.
Canady was one of the managers appointed in 1998 to conduct the impeachment proceedings of former President Bill Clinton.
Throughout his service in Congress, Canady was a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
For three terms, from January 1995 to January 2001, he was chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.
He did not seek re-election to a fifth term in 2000, keeping the term limits pledge he made in 1992.
After leaving Congress, Canady became general counsel to former Gov. Jeb Bush, who appointed him to the 2nd District Court of Appeal for a term beginning Nov. 20, 2002.
On Aug. 28, 2008, Canady was appointed to the state Supreme Court by former Gov. Charlie Crist and became the 82nd justice of the state Supreme Court on Sept. 8, 2008.
He was Florida’s 54th chief justice from July 2010 through June 2012. Canady was elected by his colleagues to serve as chief justice for a second time starting July 1, 2018, and a third time starting July 1, 2020.
After Canady’s keynote, there will be limited time for questions and answers, Orr said.
He advises members to email questions for Canady in advance to [email protected] or to JBA Executive Director Craig Shoup at [email protected].