by Joe Wilhelm Jr
Staff Writer
The 2009 “class” of Fourth Judicial Circuit Court judges ceremoniously began its service to Duval, Clay and Nassau counties Thursday with the investiture of Circuit Court Judge Adrian Soud at the Duval County Courthouse.
Soud, 34, is one of four new judges who will join the bench this year along with Jim Daniel, Virginia Norton and Jeff Morrow, and with such a large group, they have been called the “2009 Class.”
Soud graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism, which helped him develop writing skills for the many briefs he would write during his career as an attorney. Circuit Court Judge Charles Arnold presided over Soud’s investiture and referred to the new judge as a “true wordsmith.”
Soud graduated from Stetson University School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1999. He was hired by Holland & Knight shortly after, and later joined his brother at the Soud Law Firm before deciding to run for a judgeship. Throughout the campaign he was asked how he felt about following in the footsteps of his father, Senior Circuit Court Judge A.C. Soud. He may have bristled at the question as he strived to define himself as an attorney, but he let those gathered in Courtroom 4 know how he felt about that task.
“Many people have referred to the history my mom and dad have serving this community and how I am following in their footsteps,” said Soud. “We are more proud of their private life than their public life. For those times you didn’t see, for those times we saw them display integrity and responsibility.”
A theme of family was also conveyed during the comments of Soud’s friend Audrey Moran, president and CEO of the Sulzbacher Center, whose family also has deep roots in the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
“The tradition of justice is deeply embedded in the Fourth Judicial Circuit,” said Moran. “It has served this community very well.”
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