JUDGE WILLIAM A. VAN NORTWICK JR. RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED JUDICIAL SERVICE AWARD FROM FLORIDA SUPREME COURT
Thursday, April 07
- Organization: The Florida Bar
- Link: http://www.floridabar.org
The Honorable William A. Van Nortwick, Jr., has been selected as the first recipient of the Distinguished Judicial Service Award, created this year by Chief Justice Barbara Pariente. The Chief Justice will present the award to Judge Van Nortwick on Thursday, April 7 at the Florida Supreme Court.
The purpose of the Chief Justice's Distinguished Judicial Service Award is to recognize when appropriate an active or retired judge for outstanding and sustained service to the public whether through legal or civic service or a combination of them, especially as it relates to support of pro bono legal services. To qualify, a nominee must have completed at least five years of judicial service on a state trial or appellate court created by Article V of the state Constitution. The award will be given to the judge that best exemplifies the ideals embodied in the commentary to Canon 4B of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
The Canon encourages judges to contribute to the improvement of the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice. The Canon views the support of pro bono legal services by members of the bench is an activity that relates to improvement of the administration of justice. Accordingly, a judge may engage in activities intended to encourage attorneys to perform pro bono services, including, but not limited t participating in events to recognize attorneys who do pro bono work, establishing general procedural or scheduling accommodations for pro bono attorneys as feasible, and acting in an advisory capacity to pro bono programs.
Judge William A. Van Nortwick, Jr., a native of Morehead City, NC, received his B.A. from Duke University, with honors in economics, and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law. Judge Van Nortwick was appointed to Florida's First District Court of Appeal in 1994.
As a lawyer, Van Nortwick was actively involved in providing free legal assistance to the poor. Starting in the early 1970s, he represented many individual clients through Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. In addition, he used his business law expertise serving as pro bono counsel to various organizations that addressed the needs of the poor. He provided more than 200 hours of pro bono legal services to a neighborhood group by forming a non-profit corporation to establish and operate a medical clinic in an inner city area of Jacksonville.
Van Nortwick also chaired the Joint Commission of The Florida Bar and The Florida Bar Foundation, which assessed Florida's delivery system for providing legal services for the poor. The commission issued significant recommendations to improve access by the poor to legal services, including creation of Florida's current pro bono rules. In addition, Judge Van Nortwick has served as a director and two-term president of both Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., and Florida Legal Services.
As a judge, Van Nortwick has continued to be a leader in supporting the provision of pro bono legal services. At the request of then Florida Bar President Terry Russell, in 2001, he planned and chaired the Bar's statewide symposium on equal access to justice, which led to the various recommendations to improve the delivery of legal services, including the development of legislation that secured the first state funding for civil legal services to the poor. He continues to serve as an active member of The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Pro Bono Service.
In 2002-03, he chaired the Task Force on Pro Bono Activities by Judges, affiliated with the standing committee, which petitioned the Supreme Court to adopt an aspirational duty to increase judicial participation in pro bono activities. As a result, the court did amend Canon 4 of the Code of Judicial Conduct to "actively encourage" judges to speak, write and engage in quasi-judicial activities concerning the legal system, including supporting pro bono legal services.
Van Nortwick also works to improve the administration of justice. In 1997, he was appointed as one of the original members of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, and was instrumental in the creation of the circuit professionalism committees.
The purpose of the Chief Justice's Distinguished Judicial Service Award is to recognize when appropriate an active or retired judge for outstanding and sustained service to the public whether through legal or civic service or a combination of them, especially as it relates to support of pro bono legal services. To qualify, a nominee must have completed at least five years of judicial service on a state trial or appellate court created by Article V of the state Constitution. The award will be given to the judge that best exemplifies the ideals embodied in the commentary to Canon 4B of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
The Canon encourages judges to contribute to the improvement of the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice. The Canon views the support of pro bono legal services by members of the bench is an activity that relates to improvement of the administration of justice. Accordingly, a judge may engage in activities intended to encourage attorneys to perform pro bono services, including, but not limited t participating in events to recognize attorneys who do pro bono work, establishing general procedural or scheduling accommodations for pro bono attorneys as feasible, and acting in an advisory capacity to pro bono programs.
Judge William A. Van Nortwick, Jr., a native of Morehead City, NC, received his B.A. from Duke University, with honors in economics, and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law. Judge Van Nortwick was appointed to Florida's First District Court of Appeal in 1994.
As a lawyer, Van Nortwick was actively involved in providing free legal assistance to the poor. Starting in the early 1970s, he represented many individual clients through Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. In addition, he used his business law expertise serving as pro bono counsel to various organizations that addressed the needs of the poor. He provided more than 200 hours of pro bono legal services to a neighborhood group by forming a non-profit corporation to establish and operate a medical clinic in an inner city area of Jacksonville.
Van Nortwick also chaired the Joint Commission of The Florida Bar and The Florida Bar Foundation, which assessed Florida's delivery system for providing legal services for the poor. The commission issued significant recommendations to improve access by the poor to legal services, including creation of Florida's current pro bono rules. In addition, Judge Van Nortwick has served as a director and two-term president of both Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., and Florida Legal Services.
As a judge, Van Nortwick has continued to be a leader in supporting the provision of pro bono legal services. At the request of then Florida Bar President Terry Russell, in 2001, he planned and chaired the Bar's statewide symposium on equal access to justice, which led to the various recommendations to improve the delivery of legal services, including the development of legislation that secured the first state funding for civil legal services to the poor. He continues to serve as an active member of The Florida Bar Standing Committee on Pro Bono Service.
In 2002-03, he chaired the Task Force on Pro Bono Activities by Judges, affiliated with the standing committee, which petitioned the Supreme Court to adopt an aspirational duty to increase judicial participation in pro bono activities. As a result, the court did amend Canon 4 of the Code of Judicial Conduct to "actively encourage" judges to speak, write and engage in quasi-judicial activities concerning the legal system, including supporting pro bono legal services.
Van Nortwick also works to improve the administration of justice. In 1997, he was appointed as one of the original members of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, and was instrumental in the creation of the circuit professionalism committees.
[Updated: 07-01-2005 ]
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