The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce that the Honorable Nushin G. Sayfie was sworn in today by Chief Judge Bertila Soto as the Miami-Dade Courts’ next Chief Judge.
Her ceremonial swearing in will take place at 12:15pm on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, during the Passing of the Gavel Ceremony. A Save the Date for the Passing of the Gavel Ceremony may be downloaded below.
Chief Judge Sayfie succeeds the Honorable Bertila Soto, who has served as Chief Judge since April 2013 for four full terms.
“It is with great honor and humility that I now embark upon my new role as Chief Judge, and I look forward to building upon the many successes of my predecessor and mentor,” Chief Judge Sayfie said. “Our judges, court team, bar members and justice partners have shown incredible dedication during this very challenging and unprecedented time, and I am so grateful to serve the community with them as we move beyond the pandemic, continuing our mission to provide fair and efficient access to justice.”
Chief Judge-Elect Sayfie was first appointed to the Circuit Court by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007. Prior to her appointment to the Bench, she served as an assistant public defender with the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office since July,1994, where she rose in rank to eventually train and supervise other lawyers in the Felony Division and handle homicide and capital cases.
She began her judicial career in the Miami-Dade Courts’ Juvenile Dependency Division, then transferred to the Circuit Criminal Division in 2009. She was subsequently appointed Associate Administrative Judge in July 2011, and Administrative Judge in March 2013. She was reelected to the Circuit Court Bench in 2010 and 2016 without opposition.
Most recently as Administrative Judge of the Criminal Division, she presided over the Felony Mental Health Diversion Court, and was one of the founders of Miami-Dade’s first Veterans’ Court.
“Chief Judge Sayfie is a dedicated and experienced leader and I know she will continue to serve our courts and our community with great distinction,” former Chief Judge Soto said.
Chief Judge Sayfie has served with many local and statewide organizations throughout her judicial career and teaches litigation skills at the University of Miami School of Law. She has also taught fellow judges at the Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the College of Advanced Judicial Studies.
For her contributions to the community, Chief Judge Sayfie has received numerous awards, including the Women of Impact and In the Company of Women Awards presented by Miami-Dade County, and the Justice Gerald Kogan Judicial Distinction Award presented by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
She received her law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1993, and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1990.
The Chief Judge has administrative authority over the entire 11th Judicial Circuit and is elected to this post every two years by their fellow judges.
# # #
The mission of Florida’s judicial branch is to protect rights and liberties, uphold and interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Visit us on the Web: www.jud11.flcourts.org
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @miamidadecourts