Elizabeth G. Rice
JUDICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Year Assigned to the Bench:
2005 – County Court (Elected 2004)
2009 – Circuit Court (Appointed 2009)
2010 – Elected
2016 – Elected (without opposition)
Admitted to Practice:
Florida Bar - May 24, 1990
Education:
University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida (J.D. 1989)
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (B.S. in Geology 1986)
Assignments:
Circuit Judge
-Adult Drug “Recovery Court”, Felony Division “Y” (January 2020-present)
-Drug Pre-trial Intervention Program Court, Felony Division “W” (January 2021-present)
-Juvenile Drug Treatment Court, Juvenile Division “E” (January 2020-present)
-Circuit Civil, Division “C” (January 2015-January 2020)
-Juvenile Dependency, Division “C” (August 2013-January 2015)
-Juvenile Delinquency, Division “A” (January 2012-August 2013)
-Family Law, Division “F” (January 2010-January 2012)
County Judge
-County Criminal, Division “G” (January 2007-January 2010)
-Family Law, Division “B” (April 2006-January 2007)
-County Civil, Division “J” (January 2005-April 2006)
Associate Judge, Second District Court of Appeal (Bartow HMA, LLC v. Kirkland, 146 So. 3d 1213 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014)
Professional Associations/Activities (Legal)
Tampa Hispanic Bar Association (2007-12, 2014-present)
-Advisory Board (2016-19)
-10th Annual Gala Committee (2016)
Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (1990-present)
-Board of Directors (2008-12)
-Pro Bono Committee (2002-04)
-Pro Bono Committee/Domestic Violence Courthouse Project Volunteer (2002-04)
Tampa Bay Catholic Lawyers Guild (2000-present)
Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals (2020)
National Association of Drug Court Professionals (2020)
Florida Bar (1990-present)
-Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism (2000-04)
Bar Subcommittee (2002-03)
Budget Committee (2002-03)
Judicial Subcommittee (2000-02)
Ex-Officio (2003-04)
-Bankruptcy/UCC Committee of the Business Law Section (1992-2004)
-Continuing Legal Education (2002-04)
-Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee for the 2001 Tobias Simon Pro Bono Awards (2000-01)
-Long Range Planning Committee (2001-02)
-Special Commission on Multidisciplinary Practices and Ancillary Businesses (2000-02)
-The Florida Bar Attorneys Charitable Trust (Director, 2001-02)
-SCOPE (Seek Counsel of Professional Experience) Volunteer Panel Attorney (1996-2004)
Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section (2017-present)
-Executive Council Judicial Liaison (June 2017-June 2019)
-Executive Council Discovery Handbook Committee (June 2017-June 2019)
-Executive Council Chester Bedell Mock Trial Committee (June 2018-January 2020)
-Executive Council Professionalism Guidelines Committee (June 2017-June 2019)
Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors (1995-2002)
-President (2001-02)
-Executive Committee (1997-2002)
-Practicing with Professionalism (f/k/a Bridge the Gap) - Oversight Subcommittee (Chair, 1999-2000;
Co-chair, 1997-98; Member, 1996-97)
-Practicing with Professionalism (f/k/a Bridge the Gap) - Seminars Subcommittee (Co-chair, 1996-99;
Member, 1995-2000)
-Local Bar Affiliates - Networking Committee (Chair, 1999-2000)
-Local Bar Affiliates - Outreach Program Committee (Chair, 1999-2000; Co-chair, 1997-99;
Member, 1996-97)
-Florida Bar Journal Committee (Chair, 1998-99)
-Judicial Directory Committee (Vice chair, 1998-99; Member, 1998-2000)
-SCOPE (Seek Counsel of Professional Experience) Committee (Co-chair, 1997-98; Member, 1996-97)
-Long Range Planning Committee (Chair, 2000-01; Member, 1999-2000)
-Budget Committee (1998-2001)
-Children’s Witness Waiting Room Committee (1996-97, 1999-2000)
-Web Page Committee (1997-2000)
-Florida Supreme Court Teen Mediation/Youth Education Committee (1997-98)
-Young Women and Minorities Committee (1996-97)
-Liaison to the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (1998-99)
-Liaison to The Florida Bar Public Member Information Committee (1996-97)
Florida Bar Board of Governors (2000-02)
-Executive Committee (2001-02)
-Access to Legal System Committee (2000-02)
-Communications Committee (2001-02)
-Liaison to The Florida Bar Quality of Life Committee (2001-02)
-Disciplinary Review Committee (2000-01)
-Liaison to The Florida Bar Appellate Rules Committee (2000-01)
-Judicial Nominating Commission Procedures Special Study Committee (2000-01)
-Judicial Nominating Commission Screening Committee (2001-02)
Hillsborough County Bar Association (1990-2004)
-Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors (1993-95; ex-officio director 1995-02)
Long Range Planning Committee (1995-99)
ABA YLD Affiliate Outreach Project Conference Tampa Host Committee (1997)
Law Week Committee (Chair, 1993-95)
Awards Committee (Chair, 1993-95)
Bridge the Gap Committee (1992-93)
Bench/Bar Liaison Committee (1992-93)
-Gender Ethnic & Racial Equality Committee (Chair, 2004)
-Long Range Planning Committee (1998-99)
Future Trends in the Legal Profession Subcommittee (Chair, 1998-99)
American Bar Association (1990-2004)
Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association (1998 (renewed membership) - 2004)
International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation ("IWIRC") (2001-04)
William Glenn Terrell Inn of Court (Pupil, 1991-92)
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, and
Southern District of Florida (private practice)
Professional Associations/Activities (Community)
Changing Minds of Tampa Bay, Inc. - Mental Health Advocacy Non-Profit (2016-present)
-Co-Founder
-Board of Directors/Secretary (2016-present)
The University Club of Tampa (1994-present)
-Board of Directors (2003-04)
-Secretary (2000-01)
Honors and Activities
Professional Honors:
-Recipient of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Woman Lawyer of Achievement Award (2020)
-Recipient of the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association’s Luis A. “Tony” Cabassa Award (2017)
-Selected as a Florida Association for Women Lawyers’ Leader in the Law (2011)
-Martindale-Hubbell AV© Rating (private practice)
-Named to the Tampa Bay Review's first "40 Under 40" list of achievers and doers in the Tampa Bay legal community (2002)
-Recipient of 40 Under 40 Rising Stars Award presented by The Business Journal Serving Greater Tampa Bay and Junior Achievement of West Central Florida (1999)
-Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s Most Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (1997-98)
Law School Honors:
-Order of Coif
-Florida Law Review (Senior Editor, Symposium; Associate Editor, Special Projects)
-Book Awards (Family Law, Trial Advocacy, Florida Constitutional Law)
-Appellate Advocacy Fellow
-Honors, Legal Research and Writing
Publications/Panels/Presentations:
-Updating Author: The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section Florida Handbook on Discovery Practice, Chapter 6 - Expert Witnesses Discovery (2019)
-Co-Author: "Joint Tortfeasor Liability: Inconsistencies and Inequities of Florida Law," Vol. LXIII, Fla. B.J. 57 (1989)
-Panelist, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Basic Business Law CLE Judicial Roundtable (October 11, 2019)
-Panelist, Got Civility? The Tampa Hispanic Bar Association and The Florida Bar Business Law Section Luncheon CLE Presentation (February 7, 2018)
-Panelist, Numerous Judicial Views from the Bench
-Panelist, Unique Issues in Representing a Hispanic Client/The Court’s Perspective, Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association (April 28, 2011)
-Panelist, “We’ve Come a Long Way - Panel Perspectives,” Florida Association of Women Lawyers Seminar, The Florida Bar Annual Meeting (June 22, 2001)
-Presenter, “Promoting Workplace Wellness: Learning to “LOVE” and Launching Other Well-Being Initiatives in Your Law Firm,” Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (February 17, 2021)
-Presenter, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Webinar on “Achieving Mental Wellness Through Community Connections” (December 19, 2018)
-Presenter, Austin Crews Eagle Scout Program on “Teen Depression and Anxiety” (September 17, 2018)
-Presenter, “What Bankruptcy Attorneys Need to Know about County Criminal Court,” Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association luncheon seminar (January 13, 2009)
-Presenter, “Avoiding Technical Minefields and Overcoming Procedural Hurdles in Drafting Affidavits and Obtaining Default Judgments,” Hillsborough County Bar Association Brown Bag luncheon seminar (March 7, 2006)
-Presenter, “Mortgage Foreclosures in Florida: A Nuts and Bolts Perspective,” Hillsborough County Bar Association Basics of Foreclosure Seminar (April 11, 1996)
-Presenter, “Receiverships and Sequestration of Rents,” Florida Mortgage Foreclosures Seminar presented to AMRESCO Institutional, Inc. (May 21, 1992)