Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Scott Bernstein. Photo: J. Albert Diaz

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Scott M. Bernstein is the 2019 recipient of the Judicial Excellence Award from Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady.

Bernstein was elected to the bench in 1998 and now serves as administrative judge in the family division.

He “has tremendous respect for the law and tremendous respect for the lawyers and litigants who appear in court. He is truly a Judge’s Judge, a natural leader and a model of excellence,” a fellow judge wrote for his nomination.

While serving in the juvenile delinquency division, he instituted a case-management system that shortens the time to trial.

Bernstein served as chair and education chair of the state Conference of Circuit Court Judges. For more than a decade, he has served on the Supreme Court’s standing committee on fairness and diversity, including nine years as chair.

Bernstein was appointed to the standing committee on families and children in the courts and  chaired the delinquency subcommittee from 2004 to 2008.

He has taught at the National Judicial College, Florida Judicial College, Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies, Conference of Circuit Court Judges and Conference of County Court Judges.

A dozen colleagues signed a letter recommending him for the award. Bernstein was praised as a superb administrator who “brought family court into the 21st century.” They wrote, “Whenever we have questions on a new or novel issue, or if we just need advice on how best to handle a difficult situation, Scott is the judge we call.”

The chief justice recognizes one circuit and one county judge each year for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to the judicial branch and personifying judicial excellence. The other recipient this year was Sarasota County Court Judge David Denkin.