from staff
Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida Marcia Morales Howard has been appointed to U.S. District Judge.
U.S. Senator Mel Martinez voted last week to confirm Howard’s nomination. The Court’s jurisdiction includes the Ft. Myers, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Jacksonville areas. The Senate voted to confirm the nomination by a vote of 94-0.
“I’m delighted to join my colleague, Sen. (Bill) Nelson, in advancing the nomination of Marcia Morales Howard as a federal district court judge for the middle district of Florida,” said Martinez, in a floor statement commending the nomination.
“This outstanding woman, a lawyer from Florida, has not only a distinguished academic background, graduated from the University of Florida College of Law and was an editor of the law review, but she also has been an accomplished litigator for 13 years with two very fine law firms in Florida, Foley & Lardner and McGuire Woods. In 2003, she became a federal magistrate.”
Howard was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Jacksonville Division on June 2, 2003. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in 1987 and graduated from the University of Florida, College of Law in 1990, where she served as a Symposium Editor for the Florida Law Review. While in private practice, Howard was a member of The Florida Bar and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida.
Martinez said he’s confident Howard will do a great job and he commended the Judicial Nominating Commission for nominating a deserving candidate.
“I know what an outstanding American she is. And I’m very proud that we have someone of this dedication and this quality to serve in this important post,” said Martinez. “I’m delighted not only for the opportunity to advance this nomination, but also to tout the Judicial Nominating Commission that Sen. Nelson and I have formed in the state of Florida. I believe it is a model of bipartisan cooperation, seeking the best and most qualified on the merits by positioning the nomination before a group of distinguished lawyers who then see the applicants, study their qualifications and make recommendations.”