PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_February 2019 | Page 12

JUDICIAL PROFILE (Con’t. from Front Page) Judge Maxine Cheesman Andrea McMillan devoted to him, and he to her. She describes him as her biggest supporter and advocate. Theirs is a special union. They still enjoy a beautiful and fulfilling life together. 2012, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County honored her with its “And Justice For All” Award for her outstanding pro bono work. For almost forty years, Judge Cheeseman has also fed the poor and Between 1980 and 1992, Judge Cheesman homeless-work she has done quietly and worked as a hydrogeologist and chemist faithfully. in Miami with the Florida Department of Environmental Resources Management. While working in Miami shortly after She also served as a part-time adjunct migrating, Judge Cheesman noticed the professor at Miami-Dade Community substantial number of hungry, homeless College, teaching undergraduate courses in people. She started cooking chicken, rice, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and vegetables in her own home, and and General Science. Eventually, she earned driving around the streets of Miami, feeding an MS degree in Organic Chemistry in 1987 approximately 100 people each week. She from the University of Miami. did this for several years. Judge Cheesman subsequently spent nine years as a Division Director with the South Florida Water Management District. At one point, she served as an expert witness on water quality monitoring issues in litigation handled by John Fumero, then District General Counsel. Impressed with Judge Cheesman’s aptitude for understanding and applying legal concepts, Mr. Fumero encouraged her to apply to law school. In 2001, while still working full-time at the District, Judge Cheesman enrolled in law school at Nova Southeastern University. In 2004 she graduated cum laude. Judge Cheesman largely credits John Fumero for positively impacting the trajectory of her life by urging her to become a lawyer. Between 2005 and 2007, Judge Cheesman served as Director of the Real Estate Division at the District. In 2007 she began a solo law practice. Her firm eventually evolved into the Law Offices of Cheesman and Varner, a two-attorney firm, handling a variety of litigation and transactional matters, including real estate, title services, mortgages, probate, contract matters, fair housing litigation, bankruptcy, and employment disputes. In 2014, Judge Cheeseman ran for a circuit court judgeship here, but lost in a three- person race. In spite of her loss, Judge Cheesman enjoyed campaigning, learned a lot from the experience, and decided to run again. Judge Cheeseman has led a life of public service and selfless devotion to others. In to help prepare meals for hungry, homeless people who come there to be fed. After feeding those people, Judge Cheesman and other members of the ministry take food to homeless people in Curry Park in West Palm Beach. They started doing so at Judge Cheesman’s urging. Sandra Close Turnquest, a community leader who works in that ministry, describes Judge Cheesman as “having a heart of gold.” Judge Cheesman’s background certainly sensitizes her to the life experiences and concerns of many different types of people. She looks forward to dispensing justice fairly, and making lawyers and litigants feel they have been heard and treated with When she started working at the District, respect in her courtroom. We welcome her Judge Cheesman joined the feeding to the bench. ministry at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in West Palm Beach. For the last Andrea McMillan is a solo practitioner at Law Offices of Andrea D. McMillan, PA, representing personal injury twenty-three years, Judge Cheesman has plaintiffs and people involved in insurance disputes. shown up in the Tabernacle kitchen at 6 am She may be reached at [email protected]. SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION THOUGH JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE Mediating all civil disputes Peter Blanc, Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator ∙ Retired circuit judge with 40 years of legal experience ∙ Rated as one of Palm Beach County Bar Association’s top judges since 1990 ∙ Chief Judge of the 15 th Judicial Circuit, 2009- 2013 ∙ Faculty member for the Florida Judicial College and Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies ∙ University of Miami School of Law, 1978 [phone] [email protected] P.O. Box 2256, West Palm Beach, FL 33402 www.blancmediation.com