Harry Lee Anstead

Harry Lee Anstead was a justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1994 to 2009. He was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles on August 29, 1994. He served as Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court from July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2004. ^[1]

Legal education and experience

Anstead attended undergraduate and law school at the University of Florida and he later was the first sitting judge in the United States to earn an academic degree in the judicial process when he was awarded a Master of Laws degree at the University of Virginia. Between undergraduate and law school he served with the National Security Agency in Washington, D.C.

Anstead was a trial and appellate lawyer in South Florida until 1977 when he became a judge of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, where he served as Chief Judge and from time to time as a circuit and county judge throughout the district. During his tenure he was nominated for appointment to the Supreme Court by four successive nominating commissions. On August 29, 1994, he was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Lawton Chiles.^[2]

Impact on the Court

While on the Court, Justice Anstead proposed changes to the Court's internal procedures, including the creation of a central staff of lawyers to facilitate the processing and disposition of cases, and the standardization of the work of the judicial staff lawyers. He also initiated a statewide program to improve professionalism among judges, lawyers, and law schools in the state. His initiative included the creation of a Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and a permanent Center for Professionalism at The Florida Bar. He has also served on the Judges Advisory Committee to the ABA Committee on Ethics.^[3]

Chief Justice

July 1, 2002, Anstead became Florida's 50th Chief Justice. Under a constitutional amendment, funding for the operation of Florida's trial courts shifted from local budgets to the state budget and the Justice Anstead led a unified judicial effort to ensure that all Florida communities were provided with adequate judicial resources.^[4]