Florida Second District Court of Appeal
Judge Robert J. Morris, Jr.
Appellate Judge
Judge Morris graduated from Tarpon Springs (FL) High School in 1971 and received the Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Service. He received a B.S. degree from the University of Florida College of Journalism in 1975 and was inducted into Florida Blue Key. Prior to law school, he worked for a major national financial institution in Chicago, where he became a registered principal with the National Association of Securities Dealers. While in law school, Judge Morris was a law clerk to the Illinois Attorney General, working on appeals in both state and federal courts. He obtained his J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1980 and received an American Jurisprudence Award for scholarship. He became a member of The Florida Bar in 1980.
From 1980 to 1997 Judge Morris practiced law and received an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. His experience as a lawyer includes: assistant state attorney in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, partner and Florida Committee member at Foley & Lardner (Tampa), and principal in his own law firm. While in private practice, he concentrated in complex commercial litigation and transactions. He also served on the boards of directors of both a bank and a hospital. In addition, he was the founding chair of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Tampa) Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Bias (1990-93).
Governor Lawton Chiles, Jr., appointed him to the county court of Pinellas County in June 1997. Governor Jeb Bush appointed him circuit judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit for the term beginning January 1, 2002. The sixty-nine judges of the Sixth Judicial Circuit unanimously elected him chief judge in 2007 and 2009. Governor Charlie Crist appointed him to the Second District Court of Appeal, commencing on August 1, 2009.
Chief Justice Barbara Pariente appointed Judge Morris chair of the Supreme Court Committee on Families and Children (2004), and Chief Justice Fred Lewis appointed him to the Trial Court Budget Commission (2006). In 2008 he received the William J. Castagna Award for Judicial Excellence from the Barney Masterson Inn of Court. He has been a frequent instructor and presenter including: The Florida Judicial College, Advanced Judicial Studies, judicial conferences, Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg College, the University of Tampa, bar associations, civic groups, and high schools.
Judge Morris was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953. One of eight children, he was raised in Florida and the Bahamas. In 1976 he married Anne Cullen of Wall Springs, Florida, and they have three adult children. In 2005 he graduated from the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Commentary: I will have to merit retention vote “YES” for Judge Robert Morris on the 2nd District Court of Appeal.
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