PBCBA BAR BULLETINS PBCBA Bulletin - February 2020 | Page 12

Member Spotlight Judge Sherri Collins by Nichole Segal Judge Sherri Collins is a County Court judge sitting in the West County Courthouse. As the only judge in Belle Glade every day, Judge Collins oversees a wide array of civil, criminal, mental health and family cases. Governor Rick Scott appointed Judge Collins to the court in 2016. Judge Collins, who grew up in Miami, is a “Double Gator,” receiving both her Bachelor and Law degrees from the University of Florida. Although she left Gainesville, she still bleeds orange and blue! Before taking the bench, Judge Collins spent 25 years as a prosecutor with close to 300 jury trials. She started her career as an Assistant State Attorney in Monroe County and, after more than 12 years, she moved and served Palm Beach County in the same role. Throughout her career, Judge Collins focused on educating both children and professionals in addition to her court duties. She was a longtime member and statewide Chairperson of the Education Committee for the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association organizing multiple CLE conferences each year. She also continues to serve on the PBCBA’s Law Related Education Committee providing civics presentations to youth and adult community organizations. A chance meeting on an airplane led Judge Collins to kickstart one of the Bar’s most successful annual education programs, Youth Law Day. Judge Collins, still an assistant state attorney at the time, was on a plane heading to present at a CLE program in Tampa when she met Eddie Stephens, a family law attorney with the law firm Ward Damon. Eddie told Judge Collins of an upcoming event for a few Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in his office to help teach them about the law. Judge Collins, who was involved with Scouts through her son, an Eagle Scout, and her daughter, a Silver and Bronze Award recipient, volunteered to help. And that was how it all started. Judge Collins believes that exposing children to new possibilities for careers will inspire them to create attainable goals for their futures. With that in mind, Judge Collins sought to expand the program to more children in Palm Beach County. Working with the Law Related Education Committee, including prior Chair, Amy Terwilleger, and current Chair, Andrew Kwan, and attorneys from Ward Damon, Judge Collins initiated the program, now known as Youth Law Day. The program initially took place in the South County Courthouse for over 100 Palm Beach County children age eleven to eighteen. The past two years, Youth Law Day has taken place at the main courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach, ending the day with the students participating in a mock trial. The expanded program has been a huge success, selling out every year to over 100 children while presenting the legal profession and court system in a positive manner. Attendees of the all-day event engage in interactive activities and satisfy the Boy Scout Law Merit Badge and Girl Scout Junior or Cadette Legacy badge requirements. In addition to scouts, students from area middle school civics classes and law magnet programs attend annually. Youth Law Day features professionals from all areas of the law, including judges, lawyers, court reporters, investigators, and K-9 police officers, just to name a few. Judge Collins recruits a diverse slate of speakers from members of the Palm Beach Hispanic Bar, F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr. Bar, and FAWL so the children who attend see themselves represented in the adults leading the interactive activities. As for the speakers, they enjoy the program so much, most come back every year. This year’s Youth Law Day is February 22, 2020 in the South County Courthouse. For more information or to register, go to www.palmbeachbar.org. If you know a member who should be featured, please let us know by emailing [email protected] PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 12