First Hispanic Woman Named To Florida Supreme Court

MIAMI, FL — One day after being sworn into office, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got to work Wednesday by announcing the first appointment of a Hispanic woman to the Florida Supreme Court. Barbara Lagoa of Miami was the first of three expected appointments to the state's high court by the new governor as a result of mandatory retirements.

"Unlike the country my parents fled, we are a nation of laws, not of men," Lagoa told reporters at Miami's historic Freedom Tower, which holds significance for Cuban Americans. The site was used to process Cuban immigrants fleeing their homeland and is now part of Miami-Dade College.

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In Cuba, the "whim of a single individual" could mean the difference between food or hunger, liberty or prison and life or death, Lagoa explained.

"I am particularly mindful of the fact that under our constitutional system it is for the legislature, and not the courts to make the law," she said. "It is the role of judges to apply, not to alter the work of the people's representatives. And, it is the role of judges to interpret our Constitution and statutes as they are written."

Lagoa, who had been serving on Florida's Third District Court of Appeal will become the state's 87th justice for the high court. She graduated from Florida International University and Columbia University law school. Her father-in-law is Miami senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck.

"I never imagined while I was attending FIU that I would be an appellate court judge next door to that university," she said.

In making the announcement, DeSantis said Lagoa's family history will serve her well on the high court.

"She will be the first Hispanic woman ever to be on the Supreme Court of Florida," he said, remarking that Lagoa managed to prepare an eloquent acceptance speech after being informed of her selection only on Tuesday night.

"Because of her family history, she understands in Cuba the rule of law doesn't mean anything," DeSantis said.

Born in Miami to Cuban-American immigrants in 1967, Lagoa majored in English at FIU and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. In law school, she served as an associate editor of the Columbia Law Review.

She was appointed to the appellate court by then Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in June of 2006, becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve in that role.

"I was born in Miami and I grew up in Hialeah, a great community filled with many hard-working families," she said. "I road my bike and I roller-skated down the streets and sidewalks of Hialeah under the watchful eye of my grandmother while my parents worked long hours."

Prior to becoming a judge, she practiced in both the civil and criminal arenas. Her civil practice focused on general and complex commercial litigation, particularly the areas of employment discrimination, business torts, securities litigation, construction litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

Lagoa is also a former assistant U.S. Attorney in Miami, where she worked in the Civil, Major Crimes and Appellate Sections.

Lagoa has served on the board of directors for the YWCA of Greater Miami and Dade County, the Film Society of Miami, Kristi House, and the FIU Alumni Association. She was also a member of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. She is a member of the Eugene P. Spellman and William Hoeveler Chapter of the American Inns of Court, the Junior League of Miami and Fairchild Tropical Gardens.

She is married to attorney Paul C. Huck, Jr. They have three children.

"For those of you who know anything about Cuban-American families, I am not just an only child, but also an only grandchild," she recalled with a smile. "So going to law school in New York City was not a popular decision in my house."

Barbara Lagoa speaks as newly sworn-in Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez stand behind her after she was named to the Florida Supreme Court. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.