Continuing our Profiles in Service series, today we invite you to #GetToKnow Judge Gina Beovides.
Judge Beovides is one of two Deputy Chief Judges, overseeing the Circuit and County Civil Divisions, the Probate and Appellate Divisions, the Civil Traffic Infractions Court, and all problem-solving court divisions.
She joined the bench in 2016 as a County Court Judge and later became Associate Administrative Judge of the County Civil Division. In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed her to the Circuit Court. During her time as a circuit court judge, she has presided over Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, and Family Division cases.
Her path to the law and ultimately the bench traces back to the lessons of her childhood. Born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents and grandparents, she attended the small private school founded by her grandfather. There, civics and government were taught alongside the ABCs, reflecting the school’s emphasis on civic responsibility and respect for the rule of law. Each month, students participated in “Actos Cívicos,” or “Civic Acts,” a program that encouraged community service and instilled the idea that citizenship carries both rights and responsibilities.
As an attorney, she practiced briefly in the private sector before joining Dade Legal Aid in 2006. There, she spent more than a decade as a Senior Staff Attorney representing petitioners in domestic violence cases who could not afford private counsel.
Judge Beovides continues to serve beyond the courtroom. She is currently Dean of the Florida Judicial College, overseeing education and training for newly appointed judges statewide. She also teaches civil law through the Advanced Judicial Studies program and serves on several Florida Supreme Court committees focused on judicial education, technology innovation, court performance, and improving access to justice.
Her dedication to the legal system has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Judge Steve Levine Award from the Miami-Dade Trial Lawyers Association and the PAVER and Presidential Awards from the Cuban American Bar Association.
Judge Beovides earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration, cum laude, through the University of Miami’s General Honors Program and her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, making her a proud “Double ’Cane.” She is also a recipient of the University of Miami Law Alumni Achievement Award and a recent inductee into the Iron Arrow Honor Society – UM’s highest honor.
She often shares a favorite Cuban saying: “Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” or “The devil knows more because he is old than because he is the devil” – a humorous nod to the value of experience. Guided by the wisdom of her own mentors, she reminds young lawyers that no one succeeds alone: experience matters, and there is always something to learn from those who came before.