Continuing our Profiles in Service series, today we invite you to #GetToKnow Judge Abby Cynamon.
First elected to the Circuit Court bench in 2008, Judge Cynamon has presided over juvenile, family, civil, and appellate cases, where she served as administrative judge of the Appellate Division from 2012 to 2017.
Prior to becoming a judge, she was in private practice, then joined the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in 1993 as assistant general counsel. Over the next 15 years, she rose through the ranks, eventually serving as supervising staff attorney for the Civil Division until her election to the bench in 2008.
Judge Cynamon currently serves in the Circuit Civil Division, where she is known for her fairness, preparation, and professionalism – qualities stemming from the high personal standards she sets for herself.
“The obligations of punctuality, preparedness, and professionalism are the guiding principles I strive to follow every day,” she says. “It is my job to be on time for your hearing, to be prepared, and to give you the opportunity to make your argument and your record.”
Her leadership extends well beyond the courtroom. From 2018 to 2025, she served as a Track Leader for Judicial Education for the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, helping to shape statewide training for civil and family judges across Florida. She is also an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University College of Law, where she teaches business and family law and is known for her clear instruction and genuine investment in developing the next generation of lawyers.
Judge Cynamon’s service has been recognized with several honors, including the Junior League of Miami’s “Women Who Make a Difference” award and, most recently, the Miami Jewish Legal Society’s Devora Judge Award, highlighting her leadership and contributions to the judiciary.
Her professional achievements are even more powerful when viewed through the lens of her personal journey.
Judge Cynamon spent her teenage years in foster care, facing challenges that could have derailed her future. Instead, she focused on her education, ultimately earning a full scholarship to Barnard College, Columbia University, where she majored in History and Economics. She went on to earn both her Juris Doctor and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law.
She credits the inspiration behind her legal career to her legal hero – a family court judge who served in Manhattan in the 1970s.
Though she does not remember the judge’s name, she remembers a hearing during her parents’ difficult divorce when the judge took the time to speak directly with the one person whose life would be most impacted by her decision: the young Judge Cynamon.
Today, nearly two decades into her judicial career, she continues to carry that lesson with her every day.
“I never forget that I am here to serve the public and that my decisions directly impact the lives of people who live and work in our community,” she says.