PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_may 2018 | Page 13

JUDICIAL PROFILE C o r n e r
Judge James Nutt
TERRY RESK
If you ever have the chance to chat with
Judge James Nutt at a social gathering
– grab it! Whether you ask him about his
trekking in Nepal, sixteen consecutive
days in primitive wilderness, biking from
Montreal to the Pacific Ocean, or riding his
bicycle 580 miles through Alaska, his stories
could keep you mesmerized for hours. he was 11, and he began his legal career
here as an intern to Judge Payne. While
his accomplishments are many, he is most
proud of his involvement in - and leadership
of - organizations and programs which help
single mothers and abused women. It was
through this work that he was recognized
as the Domestic Violence Man of the Year.
Judge Nutt even manages to make his
professional career fascinating. While
with the South Florida Water Management
District, his ingenuity and perseverance
resulted in taking a case involving the Clean
Water Act to the United States Supreme
Court. His pride in the District is apparent,
and rightfully so. Few of us realize that it
is the largest landowner in Florida with
over 1600 employees at its peak. While at
the District from 1995 until his December
2017 appointment to the Bench by Governor
Scott, he handled a wide range of issues,
practicing primarily in federal courts and
becoming proficient in the appellate sphere.
He is the only employee of the District ever
to earn the Employee of the Year distinction
two separate times. Although Judge Nutt does not have much
time for leisure since his investiture, he
does love to read and ride bikes and enjoys
travelling with his wife, Cheryl Kempf, who
recently retired from FP&L after practicing
with its legal department for over 20 years.
As important as the District has been to the
judge, his family has had an even greater
influence on him. While his grandparents
played a significant role in raising him, he
gained a lifelong love of learning from his
mother, a school teacher and dean with a
Ph.D. in education. His father was a well-
read ink artist and Virginia historian who
also helped to fuel Judge Nutt’s fascination
with learning, arts and history, including
that of his own family. The breadth of experience which Judge
Nutt gained while at the District prepared
him well for the judiciary; as much as
he continues to respect his long-time
former employer and the work which it
does, his transition to a judicial role was
the logical next step. In addition to the
legal challenges themselves, he enjoys
the camaraderie among his fellow jurists.
His deep appreciation for the law and its
institutions will benefit all of us during his
tenure on the Bench.
One of the judge’s grandfathers served as an
Ohio Senator, working to pass clean water
legislation, while his other grandfather –a
lobbyist for a chemical company – often
had competing goals. It may be more than
coincidental that forty years later, their
grandson took a case involving the Clean
Water Act to the United States Supreme
Court.
Despite his world-wide experiences, Judge
Nutt considers himself a country boy at
heart, and has deep roots in South Florida.
His family moved to Broward County when
One thing that those appearing before Judge
Nutt should keep in mind is that he believes
that the “best lawyers make an effort to
inform.” In his courtroom, therefore, you
should take the steps necessary to educate
him about your case and the applicable law;
in any other setting, however, I strongly
suggest that you convince him to describe
for you at least one of his many adventures
(did I mention that he is also a licensed
pilot?).
PALMBEACHBAR.ORG
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Judge James Nutt
Terry Resk is a shareholder of Haile Shaw &
Pfaffenberger, practicing in its commercial litigation
and appellate departments.
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