Broward County’s first female chief judge left office 34 years ago. The second will begin her service in May. But Miette K Burnstein has no advice for Carol-Lisa Phillips about navigating the politics of the job or tackling the enormous administrative responsibilities.
“Believe me, she needs no advice,” said Burnstein, now retired and living in Miami-Dade County. “She is a super-qualified judge.”
Phillips, 61, was elected unanimously by the 90 judges of the circuit and county courts to succeed Jack Tuter as chief judge, a job he held for eight years. Chief judges are limited to a maximum of four, two-year terms, and Tuter announced last week that he will be retiring May 1.
That will give Phillips a head start on the job — she was supposed to start on July 1, but as the current chief administrative judge of the civil division, she is already second-in-command in the county.
Phillips was a civil lawyer for 14 years before she was tapped by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve on the bench in 2003. She was elected to a full term in 2006 without opposition and re-elected in 2012 and 2018, never needing to campaign.
Last year she unexpectedly drew an unlikely opponent: The daughter of two Orlando lawyers who appeared before Phillips and wanted her off their civil case. The gambit worked. Phillips had to recuse herself to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
But the election wasn’t even close. The opponent did not live in Broward County and did not actively campaign. Phillips ran away with 72% of the vote.
Her election as chief judge earlier this month drew no opposition.
“It’s an honor to have earned that trust,” she said.
The job is more than ceremonial. It involves assigning and reassigning judges to the various divisions in the main courthouse in Fort Lauderdale and the satellite courts in Deerfield Beach, Plantation and Hollywood, making sure they’re managing a realistic caseload and overseeing the administration of court policies.
Phillips was instrumental in crafting the circuit’s response to the COVID pandemic in 2020, ensuring that Broward would be able to continue providing services even with court buildings closed to the public. While most cases experienced delays, the circuit civil division did not miss a day of service.
Despite the new responsibilities of the office, Phillips intends to hang onto her caseload, which includes the last litigation related to the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Families of the victims are suing the Broward Sheriff’s Office and three individuals for failing to stop the gunman who killed 14 students and three staff members.
Making history as Broward’s first female chief judge in a generation (and second ever) isn’t something that preoccupies Phillips, though she does recognize the importance of serving as a role model.
“This court has as many female judges as male, so times are changing,” she said.
Phillips is married to former Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle. They have one daughter, Rachel, 26, who is following her mother’s footsteps into the legal profession. She’s in her final year of law school.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.
Replacement sought
The Judicial Nominating Commission is seeking nominees for the vacancy in the 17th Circuit created by the retirement of Judge Jack Tuter. Qualified applicants may submit an application by noon on March 7.