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How fortunate we are to have women everywhere who have achieved so much, broken those glass ceilings and continue to receive recognition for their accomplishments and dedication to their careers. We read about these women daily and we applaud them all. During this month of March, we celebrate them as part of Women’s History Month. This recognition had its origins in 1981 when Congress authorized the President to proclaim “Women’s History Week”, and in 1987, it became “Women’s History Month”. Among the many outstanding women we are privileged to have in South Florida are two County Court Judges: Administrative Judge Linda Singer Stein and Associate Administrative Judge Myriam Lehr who have presided over cases for more than 20 years.
Judge Stein received her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, and was a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, as an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers, and as an appellate attorney with the firm of Thornton, David, Murray, et al. She also taught at the Emory University School of Law. She joined the County Court in 1993 and has been consistently re-elected since then. In 2004, she was appointed by former Chief Judge Joseph Farina as the Associate Administrative Judge for the County Court Civil Division and in 2018, Chief Judge Bertila Soto chose her to serve as the Administrative Judge of that division. For many years and in her capacity as an Administrative Judge, she has taken on the role as mentor to new Judges and trains them on the law and courtroom decorum. She also determines the policies and procedures of various court programs and often serves as the point person for issues involving the Clerk’s office and building concerns. During the closure of the courthouses due to COVID-19, Judge Stein was on the Pandemic Task Force and was at the forefront of developing emergency procedures for virtual hearings in the County Court Civil Division. This includes handling the challenges of managing and conceptualizing plans for 20 Judges located in 7 locations throughout the county. Judge Stein regularly participates in the University of Miami School of Law’s Partnership for Professionalism program which teaches ethics to law students through various real -life scenarios. She has also made presentations about the legal system to elementary, high school students and young lawyers and participates in programs under the Color of Justice which encourages women and minority students to follow a path in the legal arena. She has also made presentations to lawyers, businesspeople and other professionals and community members on the status of the court system during the pandemic. Among her awards is the Outstanding Community Service from the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dade County Bar Association and the Devorah Judge Award from the Miami Jewish Legal Society. Judge Stein prides herself on treating litigants, attorneys and witnesses with respect and fairness. She also encourages and advocates attorney professionalism and civility throughout the legal community.
Judge Lehr has been a Judge since 1997, handling bench and jury trials in the areas of subrogation, insurance, breach of contract, foreclosures, commercial and residential evictions and small claims cases. She also reviews petitions for domestic violence injunctions. To educate and mentor students, Judge Lehr co-founded the North Dade Justice Internship Program with Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School. Judge Lehr also founded and is the annual Co-Chair with Judge Stein of the Law Day Program, celebrated each year at the courthouse, and it will be held virtually this year. Until 2020, Judge Lehr was the Florida State Chair of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), and in that capacity, has taken a leadership role in The Color of Justice Program, bringing judges and lawyers together with young girls and minorities to encourage them to consider legal careers. Judge Lehr is most proud of her work with Judge Lisa Walsh in presenting to Columbia University Law School and School of International and Public Affairs in 2019 a full-day program dealing with sexual harassment, violence and the rule of law in the international community. In 2012, Judge Lehr was honored for her extraordinary contributions as the leader and organizer as she co-chaired the National Conference of the NAWJ, bringing over 400 judges, lawyers, students and educators from around the country to Miami for a four-day educational conference. Judge Lehr has also been honored as the recipient of the “Women of Vision” Award from the American Committee for the Weitzmann Institute of Science and the Devorah Judge Award from the Miami Jewish Legal Society. In 2017, the Dade County Bar Association honored Judge Lehr with the Judicial Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her dedication to justice, values of ethics and promotion of equality.
This past year was unlike any other as COVID took its toll on everyone and the way we conduct business. The North Dade Justice Center is one of the county’s largest and busiest court houses, and when the pandemic hit, the courthouses were closed to the public.
Immediately, Judge Stein and Judge Lehr took leadership roles to ensure continued access to justice for the public. As part of the Pandemic Task Force, they created policies and procedures on how hearings would be held remotely, learning new technology to schedule hearings and trials by video conferencing. Because of their dedication, justice was maintained.
Judge Stein said, “Due to the many orders from the Governor, Florida Supreme Court and CDC, we have been closely following the eviction moratoriums for one year now. I am part of the leadership team which is working to implement an online dispute resolution program for evictions in an effort to streamline the process for both landlords and tenants. We are entering a phase where limited jury trials are being held in accordance with health and safety measures and are cautiously optimistic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Nonetheless, as the Administrative Judge, I am proud to say that the County Civil Division has never stopped working to keep the courts functioning. “
Judge Lehr added, “With the ever- increasing caseload in the civil division, we believe that with the implementation of the Zoom platform, opportunities have presented themselves for both attorneys and unrepresented litigants to work more efficiently. We are looking forward to better and more efficient policies to afford greater and smoother access to the courts. I understand and appreciate that this is not just a job…with every decision that Judges render, there are consequences. I wake up every morning thinking how fortunate I am to be a Judge and doing what I do every single day in service of my community…it truly brings meaning to my life.”
