Judge Pfeiffer Named Judge Of The Year

The Honorable Frederick Pfeiffer, as the recipient of the prestigious award of Trial Judge of the Year for 2002 from the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), joins a distinguished group of past winner, Senior Judge Rom Powell, Circuit Judge R. James Stroker, Circuit Judge Alice Blackwell White, Circuit Judge Walter Komanski and Circuit Judge William C. Gridley.

ABOTA was founded for the purpose of protecting the right to trial by jury - - a right known only to citizens of the United States. The general purpose of ABOTA is to foster improvements in the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy and to promote the efficient administration of justice. The Central Florida Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates is comprised of trial lawyers in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia Counties.

The ABOTA Trial Judge of the Year award is made in recognition of the following attributes:

The Judge is committed to preserving and improving the jury trial system
The Judge is knowledgeable, prepared and rules in a timely manner
The Judge follows the rules of law and applies them evenhandedly
The Judge demands professionalism from all lawyers
The Judge maintains an open and accessible working relationship with the trial bar

John Edwin Fisher, President of the Central Florida Chapter, wrote in a letter to Judge Pfeiffer, “Since you are now in senior status and we rarely see you, I should advise you that the award is not much recognition of your service during the present year as it is recognition of many, many years of service to the courts, your respect for the law and the lawyers who appeared before you, and the professional and evenhanded demeanor which you always brought to the bench.” He further wrote, “Your graciousness, courtesy and professionalism has always been unmatched.”

Mr. Fisher presented the award to Senior Judge Pfeiffer on November 14, 2002. “It was a great honor to receive this award,” stated Judge Pfeiffer. “ABOTA is the cream of the crop of trial lawyers,” added the Judge.

Senior Judge Pfeiffer has been a Judge for over 30 years, first elected to the Bench in 1972. Prior to becoming a Judge, he was the claims manager for Central Florida for State Farm Insurance. He received his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School in 1950. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in naval science and history in 1947. He met his wife of 54 years in Chapel Hill. They have three successful children.

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio but moved to the Washington D.C. area at the age of 10. His father began practicing law in 1907. “From the time I was a little, little boy, I knew I would be a lawyer,” stated Judge Pfeiffer.

Judge Pfeiffer is a “do the right thing” man who has many interests that keep him “plenty busy.” He enjoys reading, especially history and politics and serves on numerous church and community boards including the Holocaust Board, Friends of the Library and the Board of Regional History.