SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Judge Joe Tompkins was born and raised in Tampa Bay and is the son of a Cuban immigrant on his mother's side and a descendant of one of the Founding Fathers on his father's side.  He graduated from Holy Family Academy, played high school tennis at Chamberlain, and was a two-time state piano champion from the Bay Ridge District in the Florida Federation of Music Clubs.

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Tompkins served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Middle District of Florida.  There, Judge Tompkins successfully prosecuted civil rights and tax violations, while defending the interests of the United States, its military institutions, and federal agencies in civil, criminal, and bankruptcy matters throughout all stages of litigation.    

Prior to serving the United States, Judge Tompkins held three different clerkships.  He served as the senior law clerk to the Hon. Nelly Khouzam and as a law clerk to the Hon. Douglas Wallace (retired) at the Second District Court of Appeal.  He also served as the staff attorney to the Hon. Thomas P. Barber, Hon. E. Lamar Battles, and the Circuit Civil and Felony Divisions at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court.

Judge Tompkins graduated magna cum laude from Ave Maria School of Law, finishing near the top of his class and receiving the Mary, Queen of Lawyers Award, which is given to the graduate that the law school would most want defending it in its greatest hour of need. During law school, Judge Tompkins served on the Editorial Board of the Law Review and had his law review article published in 2014. 

Judge Tompkins received his B.A. from Ave Maria University, where he graduated cum laude and received the school's highest awards, including the President's Award, the Pope John Paul II Man of the Year Award, and the Fr. Solanus Casey Award for leadership, community service, and academic excellence.          

Judge Tompkins has played an active role in the community, having served on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee and the Florida Supreme Court's Standing Committee on Fairness & Diversity.  He is a member of the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Wm. Reece Smith Inn of Court, the J. Clifford Cheatwood Inn of Court, among others.  He continues to donate his time and talents at his church, various charities, and voluntary bar associations.  Judge Tompkins coaches youth soccer and resides in Hillsborough County with his wife and children.   

He was appointed to the bench on September 15, 2021, by Governor Ron DeSantis.

JUDICIAL HISTORY: 

Assignments:  County Civil; County Civil Traffic (2021 – present)

EXPERIENCE:  

Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Civil Division & Civil Rights (2018-2021)

Senior Law Clerk, Hon. Nelly Khouzam, Second District Court of Appeal (2017-2018)

Law Clerk, Hon. Doug Wallace (Ret.), Second District Court of Appeal (2016-2017)

Staff Attorney to Hon. Thomas P. Barber and the Circuit Civil and Felony Divisions at the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court (2014-2016)

EDUCATION:

Law School:  Ave Maria School of Law, magna cum laude

Undergraduate:  Ave Maria University, cum laude

Fellowships:  John Witherspoon Fellowship, Witherspoon Fellow