Name: Karen K. Cole
Education: B.A. (psychology), cum laude, Jacksonville University, 1978; J.D., University of Florida, 1981.
Admitted to the Bar: 1981.
Date sworn in to the bench: Investiture in December 1993; embarked upon judicial duties Jan. 3, 1994.
Court: Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, State of Florida.
Division: FM-B.
Why did you become a judge?
While I genuinely loved being an advocate, I became a judge because I valued even more the opportunity to hear and evaluate both sides of a case, to determine the facts and to apply the law to those facts to reach an equitable and lawful outcome. Additionally, since judges have both the ability and the responsibility to improve our judicial system, I committed from the outset to implementing innovative court-based programs to address the many needs seen daily in our courtrooms. For example, as chair of the statewide Family Courts Steering Committee, I presented the Supreme Court of Florida with committee recommendations, later adopted by the Court, for “unified family courts (UFC).” Courts implementing UFC principles consolidate related family law cases so that all such cases are heard by one judge. In that way, families attend fewer hearings, suffer less inconvenience, incur less expense, obtain speedier resolutions, and avoid inconsistent outcomes.
What should every lawyer know about appearing in your court?
Professionalism, preparation and candor matter.
What do you know now that you didn’t when you were practicing before the bench?
(1) Every three years, Florida judges must complete 30 hours, including ethics hours, of Continuing Judicial Education through the Office of State Courts Administrator, part of the Florida Supreme Court.
(2) Although they are seldom cited, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration are critically important and apply to all kinds of cases.
Community involvement?
(1) Community Advisory Committee, ChildWatch Partnership; (2) Jacksonville Women’s Network; (3) Community Advisory Board, Nemours BrightStart! Dyslexia Initiative; (4) International Dyslexia Association (former national and state board member, current member of national nominating committee); (5) current president, Florida Family Law American Inn of Court, and past president, Chester Bedell American Inn of Court; (6) faculty, Florida Judicial College for new Florida judges and the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies; (7) member, Statewide Steering Committee of the Justice Teaching Program established by Justice Fred Lewis of the Florida Supreme Court; (8) creator of the court-based volunteer Surrogate Parent Program, which provides educational advocates for abused and neglected children who have learning disabilities but no available or willing parent to advocate for the child’s special educational needs.
What are your interests outside the courtroom?
Spending time with family and with bright, compassionate, witty friends; public speaking locally and around the country about family courts, about dyslexia, and about Asperger’s Syndrome; watching BBC comedies and movies; and playing “Words with Friends,” an online game similar to Scrabble. I also suffer from an incurable addiction to Netflix.
What was the last book you read or are reading?
“Blink,” nonfiction by Malcolm Gladwell, and “House Rules,” a novel by Jodi Picoult.