JUDICIAL PROFILE CORNER
Judge M
LAURA J. STARR
Judge Surber was born and raised in
Farmingville, New York. Upon graduation
from high school in New York she received
an academic scholarship to Boston
University where she graduated with
a Bachelor’s degree in History. During
college, Judge Surber tutored children at the
local community center. After completing
college, Judge Surber followed her family
who had relocated to South Florida. It was
her father, a big influence in her life, that
suggested she take the LSATs and attend
law school. Judge Surber took his advice
and was immediately accepted into Nova
Southeastern School of Law, which was
close to her parents’ home. She loved Nova
because it was the first small school she
had ever attended. At Nova, Judge Surber
excelled and became President of the Public
Interest Law Society. It was through a clinic
offered by Nova that she gained experience
working with the Attorney General’s office
in its Children’s Legal Rights section
handling dependency and termination
of parental rights. Upon graduation from
Nova in 1997, Judge Surber worked briefly
in the private sector handling landlordtenant,
credit card, and debt collection
cases before turning her attention to public
service. Due to the clinic she took at Nova,
Judge Surber knew she wanted to work at
the Attorney General’s office but they were
not hiring new lawyers at the time. Even so,
she applied for an open law clerk position
with the Criminal Appeals Division in West
Palm Beach. It was then that she met one
of her mentor’s, Cele Terenzio, who instead
offered her a position as a junior lawyer. For
the next twenty years, Judge Surber fulfilled
numerous roles, working in Criminal
Appeals, she was given the opportunity
to work on Jimmy Ryce Appeals, Capital
Appeals, was a mentor to young lawyers,
and was eventually promoted to the
position of Senior Attorney. Judge Surber
has been to the Supreme Court of Florida
on twenty cases – 8 death penalty cases
and 12 criminal appeals. The most notable
of her cases is work she performed on the
Stand Your Ground Defense. However,
Judge Surber’s favorite appeals involve jury
related issues.
When Judge Surber was hired at the
Attorney General’s office, Judge Bonavita
mentored her. Judge
her to continue to ap
to the bench. In one
Judge Surber was ass
division vacated by
has transferred to th
The qualities that Jud
other judges that she
include being respe
listening to everyon
organized, staying c
patience.
Judge Surber’s favorit
is connection to the
new people, and m
Judge Surber’s colle
have rendered sage
everything, you may l
“you will need patienc
Judge Surber has res
for the last 18 years
attorney husband w
studying for the bar e
daughters who are 13
On behalf of the
Committee and Palm
Association, we welc
Surber to the Bench
her dedicated servic
contribution to the loc
at large in the 15th Ju
Laura J. Starr is a
Brodie, Starr & Margo
in Boca Raton and La
on the Alternative Di
Judicial Relations Com
Beach County Bar A
her family reside in L
sits on the Planning &
Commission Advisor
concentrates in the a
Civil/Business Litig
Real Estate transact
Construction disputes
Insurance disputes,
most other arbitratio
litigates in Federal,
Courts.
PBCBA BAR BULL