Barbara Lagoa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barbara Lagoa
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | |
| Assumed office December 6, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Stanley Marcus |
| Justice of the Florida Supreme Court | |
| In office January 9, 2019 – December 6, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Ron DeSantis |
| Preceded by | R. Fred Lewis |
| Succeeded by | John D. Couriel |
| Chief Judge of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal | |
| In office January 1, 2019 – January 8, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Leslie Rothenberg |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Emas |
| Judge of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal | |
| In office June 2006 – January 9, 2019 |
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| Appointed by | Jeb Bush |
| Preceded by | David Levy |
| Succeeded by | Monica Gordo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 2, 1967 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse | Paul Huck |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Florida International University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
Barbara Lagoa (born November 2, 1967) is an American judge. She currently serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Before this, she made history as the first Latina and Cuban American woman to be a justice on the Supreme Court of Florida.
In 2020, Judge Lagoa was considered for a very important role. She was a possible choice to become an associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. This position eventually went to Amy Coney Barrett.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Barbara Lagoa was born in Miami, Florida, in 1967. Her parents, Antonio and Araceli Lagoa, came to the United States from Cuba. They left Cuba after the Cuban Revolution and when Fidel Castro took power. Barbara grew up in Hialeah, Florida, a city where many people are Cuban-American. She can speak both English and Spanish.
Lagoa studied English literature at Florida International University. She graduated in 1989 with high honors. She then went to Columbia Law School and earned her law degree in 1992. While there, she helped edit the Columbia Law Review, a legal journal.
Career Journey
Starting Her Legal Career
After finishing law school, Barbara Lagoa returned to Miami. She began working as a lawyer in private law firms. From 1998 to 2003, she worked at Greenberg Traurig. In 2000, she was part of a group of lawyers who helped the Miami family of Elián González. She worked on this case mostly for free. In 2003, Lagoa became an Assistant United States Attorney. This means she worked for the government, handling cases in the Southern District of Florida.
Serving on Florida's Highest Court
In June 2006, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Lagoa to the Third District Court of Appeal. This is a court that reviews decisions made by lower courts. She became the Chief Judge of this court on January 1, 2019. Soon after, on January 9, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed her to the Supreme Court of Florida. This is the highest court in Florida. She was the first Hispanic woman and the first Cuban-American woman to serve on this court.
In April 2019, Lagoa wrote the court's decision in an important case. The court agreed that Governor DeSantis had the power to suspend Sheriff Scott Israel. This was because of how the sheriff responded to the tragic Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
In November 2019, Lagoa was part of discussions about voting rights. The question was whether people who had committed crimes, and whose voting rights were restored by voters, needed to pay fines before they could vote. Lagoa left her position on the Florida Supreme Court when she was appointed to a federal court.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On September 12, 2019, President Donald Trump announced he wanted to nominate Barbara Lagoa to a federal court. This was for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. This court hears appeals from federal courts in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Her nomination was sent to the Senate in October 2019. After a hearing and votes, the Senate confirmed her nomination on November 20, 2019. She officially became a federal judge on December 6, 2019.
In July 2020, some senators asked Lagoa not to be involved in a case about voting rights in Florida. This was because she had been part of a similar discussion on the Florida Supreme Court. However, Lagoa and another judge decided to stay on the case. They explained that the cases were different. In September 2020, Lagoa joined the majority of judges who decided that a Florida law was constitutional. This law required people who had committed crimes to pay all their fines and fees before they could vote again.
In December 2022, Judge Lagoa wrote the court's main opinion in a case about school bathrooms. The court decided that a high school's policy of separating bathrooms based on biological sex was allowed. It did not violate the Equal Protection Clause or Title IX. Lagoa also wrote a separate opinion. She discussed how changing the meaning of "sex" in Title IX could affect the rights and sports opportunities for girls and women.
On August 21, 2023, Lagoa wrote an opinion that allowed a law in Alabama to take effect. This law makes it a crime to provide certain medical treatments to young people under 19 related to their gender identity. Lagoa's opinion stated that the Constitution likely does not protect a parent's right to have their children receive these specific treatments. She also said the law did not unfairly treat people based on their sex.
Possible Supreme Court Nomination
On September 9, 2020, President Trump included Lagoa on a list of people he might nominate to the United States Supreme Court. After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18, 2020, Lagoa was considered a top candidate to fill the empty spot.
People who know Lagoa describe her as "quiet and friendly." They also say she is smart about politics. Many Republicans in Florida supported her possible nomination to the Supreme Court. Lagoa and her husband have built strong relationships in Florida's legal and political communities over the years. If she had been nominated and confirmed, she would have been the first Supreme Court justice from Florida.
However, on September 26, 2020, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett for the U.S. Supreme Court. Barrett was confirmed to the position in October of that year.
Personal Life
Barbara Lagoa is married to Paul C. Huck Jr., who is also a lawyer. Her father-in-law, Paul Huck, is a federal judge too. Barbara and her husband have three daughters, including a set of twins. Lagoa is a practicing Roman Catholic. She has said that her Catholic education gave her a strong faith in God. This faith has helped her through good times and bad times in her life.
See also
In Spanish: Barbara Lagoa para niños
- Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates
- List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
- List of first women lawyers and judges in Florida
