S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
by Lyndsey E. Siara - Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
continued from page 17
Marian’s resounding “you will go to college” repeating
anthem that made Judge Ober a first-generation college
attendee. She had friends at the University of South
Florida, so she enrolled there. Looking back, Judge Ober
is particularly grateful to her now 91-year-old mother,
and best friend, for encouraging higher education. And
there’s little doubt of how proud Marian is of Judge Ober,
as she regularly brags about her daughter’s achievements
to the other folks at her assisted living facility.
Judge Ober started college as a voice major. After
coming to terms with what she considered unrealistic
career options in the performing arts industry, she
switched course. A criminology class captured her
fascination right around that time. But the interest had
always been there. As an avid young reader, murder
mysteries captivated her. These stories came to life in her
college criminal justice classes, and soon she uncovered
her passion for the law, especially criminal law. This
explains the last semester internship at the courthouse.
Before making her way to law school, Judge Ober
worked at the State Attorney’s Office as a receptionist
and a docket clerk. She then attended South Texas
College of Law. At the time, many people from Tampa
enrolled in the Houston school. Law school classmates
soon joined her family of friends.
After law school, Judge Ober returned to the State
Attorney’s Office, this time as an Assistant State
Attorney. She later became an Assistant Public
Defender, followed by a brief stint in private practice
while running for judge. Making her way back to where
it all started, Judge Ober was elected to the county court
bench in 1996. She has been re-elected four times since.
Her judicial journey has not always been an easy one.
She acknowledged that the path wasn’t paved in gold,
especially for women at that time. When she first came
to the courthouse as an intern in 1979, she recalls only
a handful of female attorneys. When she began her
legal career in the State Attorney’s Office, there still
were few women, although trailblazers were emerging.
By the time Judge Ober ran for judicial office, several
others had paved the way for a female presence on the
bench. Despite personal and professional challenges,
after 24 years on the bench, she is certain it has been a
fulfilling experience.
In what seemed like a preordained nod to her
collegiate passion, she spent her first 12 judicial years
solely overseeing criminal cases. Since that time, Judge
Ober has seen every type of case in county court. That
is one of the aspects of this position she loves most —
the variety of situations and legal issues, from
landlord/tenant disputes to PIP claims to injunctions;
you name it, and she’s seen it. The mixed bag of cases
she handles allows her to still learn something new every
day, even after almost 40 years of practice.
To Judge Ober, the most challenging aspect of being
a judge is the caseload, though she said it in a more
personal way — that she wished she had more time for
each litigant. In her time on the bench, Judge Ober has
presided over hundreds of thousands of cases, including
over 400 jury trials while assigned to the criminal
division. She explained that the sadness judges see can
also be difficult to watch, knowing that she cannot always
help in the way she might want to. Yet, despite these
limitations, Judge Ober is proud of her efforts to give
continued on page 19
Thanks to the Bar Examination Proctors
the florida Board of Bar Examiners and hcBa would like to express their appreciation to the volunteers
that assisted in proctoring the Bar Examination on July 30-31 at the tampa convention center. the success
of the examination was due in no small part to the following individuals’ able assistance:
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• amanda Biondolino • Mattaniah Jahn • harrison standley
• christopher cervellera • roger larson • Marva taylor
• laurie chane • paul Meeker • Bernard tebo
• wendy depaul • knute nathe • Matt weidner
• kristina feher • neil spector • stephanie willis
NOV - DEC 2019
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HCBA LAWYER