The life and legacy of Jacksonville attorney D.W. Perkins is enshrined at the Duval County Courthouse.
At a ceremony June 15, the area on the second floor where prospective jurors report for service became the “D.W. Perkins Jury Assembly Room.”
The change was approved May 10 when City Council adopted Resolution 2022-334 that authorized the designation, part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the opening of the courthouse at 501 W. Adams St.
By law, the city provides buildings and services for state agencies, including the Duval County and 4th Judicial Circuit courts.
The resolution outlines the criteria for the honor:
Perkins was born in North Carolina in 1879. He graduated from North Carolina State Normal College and Temple University, then received his J.D. from Shaw University Law School.
After being admitted to The Florida Bar in 1914, he practiced in Tampa, then moved to Jacksonville in 1919, where he practiced law until his death in 1972.
He was one of the first African American attorneys in Duval County.
In addition to being a staunch proponent of civil rights and activism, Perkins was a mentor and role model to generations of African American attorneys in Jacksonville.
Among his accomplishments was arguing a case before the state Supreme Court that led to racial integration of juries in Florida.
In 1968, the former Colored Lawyers Association in Jacksonville changed its name to the D.W. Perkins Bar Association in honor of one of its founding members.
In 2019, Perkins was inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
