Three candidates are running for Palm Beach Circuit, Group 30, in the August primary elections: incumbent Judge Jaimie Goodman, Day Pitney senior counsel Adam Myron in West Palm Beach and Florida assistant attorney general Caryn Siperstein in Fort Lauderdale. Here's why they say they're qualified to wear a black robe. Responses have been edited for style and content.

Related: 2020 South Florida Elections: Use this Voter Guide to Learn More About Candidates Running for Judge

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Judge Jaimie Goodman

Goodman litigated complex employment cases for more than 30 years before he was elected to the bench in 2014.

Why are you running for this position?

I have a passion for public service and a love of our legal system. I put my heart and soul into my service as circuit court judge. I take pride in my preparation as a jurist for the thousands of cases that come before the court and ensure that the law is applied fairly, with justice, integrity and equality to all who enter the courtroom. Serving as a member of the judiciary is a privilege and a public service. I care about our community and believe that I have served with integrity, dedication and justice for all. Therefore, I have decided to run for re-election.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

As your circuit court judge for the past five and a half years, I have presided over numerous jury trials and thousands of hearings. I have served in the circuit civil division, the family division and the probate and guardianship division. I currently serve in the circuit civil division. In 2019 and 2020, I also served as a faculty member at Florida Judicial College, teaching circuit civil trial procedure and case management to new circuit court judges.

Prior to taking the bench, I was a veteran employment discrimination lawyer with over 30 years of courtroom experience. I spent the first 10 years of my career handling complex civil litigation for a Fortune 500 company. I spent the next 21 years representing hard working people in complex civil litigation and employment cases. I also represented people in sexual harassment and age discrimination cases. I have maintained, for the past 20 years, an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for professional excellence, legal ability and ethical standards.

With a combined 37 years of courtroom and legal experience, I have extensive jury trial experience. There is no substitute for jury trial experience, especially during these challenging times. My rulings in jury trials have never been reversed on appeal. I also have one of the best track records in the circuit civil division for managing caseloads.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

In my response to the preceding question, I have set forth a number of significant achievements during my service as a circuit court judge. But by far, the most significant achievement is the time I have spent with our schoolchildren in Palm Beach County talking about our judicial system. The education of our children is so important. We must never forget that our children are our future. I have been honored to speak with our schoolchildren, accompanied by their parents and teachers, about my service as a judge and the importance of our jury trial system. And another significant achievement is volunteering and serving as a judge on the weekends for the city of Riviera Beach Civil Drug Court.

What would a successful term look like for you?

As a circuit court judge for the past five and a half years serving the people of Palm Beach County, in a number of different divisions in both the main courthouse in West Palm Beach and the south county courthouse, I have made sure that every party gets a fair shake in the courtroom. Another successful term would look like a continuation of that judicial philosophy and that I wake up every day knowing that I am prepared for each case that comes before me, that each case is carefully considered and that I have ensured equal justice for all who appear before the court. With the thousands of cases I have presided over in the past five and a half years, I will continue to ensure in my next successful term that each case will be treated as the most important case on my docket. I will continue to put my heart and soul into ensuring that all the people in Palm Beach County receive equal justice in the courtroom.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Education of our prospective jurors regarding the importance of jury service. We also need to ensure that our prospective jurors and the public will be safe in the courthouse during these challenging times. As a judge, I have worked and will continue to work hard to ensure that the health and safety of the jurors and the public who appear in the courtroom is protected.

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Adam Myron

Myron handles complex commercial litigation at Day Pitney and is a certified arbitrator.

Why are you running for this position?

I am passionate about ensuring confidence in the justice system, and this is a call to public service. In addition to my career as an advocate, I became a certified mediator because I love serving as an impartial facilitator of conflict resolution. Serving my community as a judge is another way that I will be able to accomplish those goals.

The Palm Beach County Bar Association conducts judicial evaluations, noting that it "has a vital interest in retaining on the bench judicial officers of the highest possible qualifications so that our courts may have the utmost confidence and respect of the public and the bar." Here, where the incumbent judge has received the most "needs improvement" ratings in almost every category in two consecutive polls, and where the percentage of "needs improvement" ratings has increased in a number of significant categories, the electorate should decide whether it wants that judge to remain in office.

I offer needed change. I am the only candidate who grew up in Palm Beach County. Throughout my legal career, I've developed not just the legal skills, but also the right temperament for the job, and I will treat everyone with civility and respect regardless of who they are or where they come from. By applying calmness, control and common sense, I hope to strengthen public confidence in our justice system.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I have been practicing law for almost 18 years and have served a broad range of clients as plaintiffs and defendants. My work has primarily involved complex civil litigation, professional liability litigation, and trust and estate litigation. I have handled multimillion-dollar disputes, including the defense of a professional liability matter in which the plaintiff sought approximately $1 billion in damages.

Two experiences in particular shaped who I am and serve to remind me of the incredible impact attorneys have on other human beings. The first involved two sisters who feared that they would never see their brother again after their niece obtained a guardianship over him. I helped them seek judicial relief and ultimately reunite with their brother. The second was a pro bono project helping Holocaust survivors apply to the German government for forced labor reparations. I met face to face with those who had persevered through humanity's darkest hours, and I was entrusted with their histories.

The actions and demeanor of a judge have a direct impact on the lives of others. Most people don't meet a judge until one of the worst days of their life, so a judge must set a tone of dignity and respect in the courtroom. Everyone must know that — win or lose — they were treated fairly and had an opportunity to be heard. I will bring those values and more to the bench.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

On a personal level, my biggest achievement has, without a doubt, been marrying the love of my life and becoming a father to our two sons. They are still very young. Nevertheless, my wife, Stephanie Cagnet Myron, and I try to find ways to instill values in them of kindness, respect and equality. Every day they surprise me, and just as they learn from me, I learn from them. I recognize that I'm a role model for them and that every day they're looking up to me. I hope that, if elected, as they grow I can teach them the value of public service and the importance of being fully engaged in our community.

On a professional level, I am very proud of my legal practice as a litigator, having learned from and worked with some of the most well-respected attorneys in Florida. I am also proud of my work as a Florida Supreme Court certified circuit mediator. As a mediator, I love employing active listening skills and sound reasoning in order to serve as an impartial facilitator of conflict resolution. If elected, I believe those skills will aid me in serving our community as a judge.

What would a successful term look like for you?

If I am honored to be elected, I would know I was successful if, after I retire, someone were able to write the following about my time on the bench: "Adam Myron demonstrated through his actions that he cares deeply about Palm Beach County and public service. He ensured fairness and equality in his courtroom for everyone, regardless of who they were or where they came from. He promoted decency, dignity for others and professionalism. He was calm, controlled and used common sense in his rulings. In sum, attorneys and litigants knew that Myron would call balls and strikes, and they were never afraid to get on the field."

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

There is no doubt that ensuring safety during the COVID-19 crisis while safeguarding access to justice is the most important issue Palm Beach County's court system is presently facing. Policies and procedures must exist that will minimize the risk associated with being physically present during a court proceeding. Moreover, when jury trials resume, it will be critical to ensure that people are not deterred from jury service or from seeking justice through the courts because they are fearful for their health.

At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fact that ensuring access to justice — which is impacted by factors such as gender, race and socio-economic conditions — is vitally important. Organizations such as the Legal Aid Society and Palm Beach County Victim Services promote access to justice; however, there are many individuals who may not qualify for the services of those organizations or may not even be aware that they exist. Even after an individual obtains access to the court system, equal treatment may be difficult to obtain. Programs on the topic of implicit bias, which are available through the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and the Racial Equity Institute, could help educate individuals about some of the root causes of disparity and hopefully pave the way for greater equity and fairness for those involved in the court system.

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Caryn Siperstein

Siperstein serves in the Florida Attorney General's civil litigation bureau and has also served as a mediator.

Why are you running for this position?

I am running to make a positive change and be the difference our community deserves. I will treat people fairly, respectfully, professionally, compassionately and impartially. I have appeared before the incumbent. I understand to serve as a circuit judge is a serious responsibility that handles matters of life and death. In addition, the Palm Beach County Bar Association judicial evaluation of judicial officers for 2017 and 2019, for the incumbent are important. In 2019′s "Judicial demeanor and courtesy to lawyers" category, 235 out of 278 lawyers indicated the incumbent "needs improvement." In 2019′s "Commonsense use of practical considerations in decision making" category, 160 out of 278 lawyers indicated the incumbent "needs improvement." I am asking for the Palm Beach County residents to make their vote count and vote Caryn Siperstein because I will make a positive difference.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

My diverse legal and court experience, volunteer work and my accomplishments differentiate me and have prepared me to serve as the next Palm Beach Circuit Court judge. My work serving as a Florida Assistant Attorney General has provided a wide range of experience in various areas of the law, including constitutional challenges, civil right matters, tort litigation, real estate matters/eminent domain, prison litigation, judicial, prosecutorial and sovereign immunity, as well as appellate matters.

In addition, I served as a mediator for Palm Beach Circuit in the alternative dispute resolution division, handling family and dependency matters, which included divorce, time sharing, child support and custody cases. Having already handled cases as a neutral and impartial mediator for the same circuit, I will continue to ensure everyone is treated fairly and respectfully. While I have a rich history of public service, I also have the benefit of private firm experience running my own successful law firm. I served as a New Jersey Somerset County Court-appointed civil mediator and arbitrator, as well as a pool attorney for the New Jersey Public Defender's Office.

Lastly, I have been licensed to practice law for almost 18 years, licensed in Florida, New York and New Jersey, and AV Preeminent-rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review in 2019 and 2020. See www.caryn4judge.com.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

My greatest achievement is mentoring, educating and motivating students, those working to become mediators and lawyers. I have taught law to local high school students, worked with them on the mock trial team and taught them skills that helped them into the next phase of their lives. As a mediator, it was important to help those striving to be mediators with mediation observations. As a lawyer, I helped play a significant role in shaping the litigation skills of new attorneys. It is rewarding to share my professional skills, experience, compassion and knowledge, as well as to demonstrate a positive attitude. It is vital to be a positive role model and participate in the personal growth of others, which works towards making the world a better place.

What would a successful term look like for you?

Most people's experience with the judicial system is when they have to appear in court in an unpleasant time in their lives. People's experience sets their perception of our legal system. It is important that the judge set the proper tone in the courtroom with professionalism and proper demeanor. I will serve with professionalism, compassion, integrity, honesty and commitment to fairness. I will give all parties an opportunity to be heard. It is quintessential that everyone is treated with respect and have their day in court. I will listen to all the facts presented and apply the law impartially and fairly. A successful term would include all parties that appeared before me having felt that they had the opportunity to be heard, treated with respect and dignity as well as treated fairly.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Currently, the judicial system is facing a serious challenge in providing justice amid the pandemic. COVID-19 has stopped jury trials taking place in the circuit court because of the public health emergency. Since the current pandemic, courts have been conducting hearings by phone or audio-visual means. There is a new pilot program in other districts, which will have virtual jury trials for civil cases. This potentially could be the future of how cases would be heard, saving time and money for the litigants as well as for the jurors.

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