For our Constitution Day celebration, we are focusing on the topic "The Constitution is Good." In a time when many influential institutions and scholars challenge the value of the U.S. Constitution, arguing or assuming it is inherently flawed, we aim to shed light on its enduring strengths. The Constitution has faced criticism, especially in light of recent Supreme Court decisions, yet its history, significance, and impact remain powerful testaments to the success of this uniquely American form of government. Join us as we celebrate and reaffirm the enduring goodness of the U.S. Constitution.

SPEAKER: Judge Alexander S. Bokor

Florida Third District Court of Appeal

Judge Alexander S. Bokor began his service on the Third District Court of Appeal on September 1, 2020 after his appointment by Governor Ron DeSantis. Previously, Judge Bokor served as a trial judge for four years, most recently as a circuit judge in the civil division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit from 2018, and before that as a county judge for Miami-Dade County since 2016.  Judge Bokor was appointed to both trial court positions by Governor (now Senator) Rick Scott, and subsequently retained without opposition for each seat.

As a circuit judge, in addition to managing a full civil trial docket, Judge Bokor served as part of the Chief Judge’s task force charged with pandemic planning, responsible for enabling and implementing remote video appearances and remote evidentiary procedures for all of circuit and county court.  Judge Bokor also served as a visiting Associate Judge on the Fourth District Court of Appeal in March 2020 and has served on multiple circuit appellate panels.  As a county judge, Judge Bokor served in North Dade, South Dade, and downtown Miami, primarily in civil divisions. He also served in a criminal misdemeanor/traffic branch division.

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Bokor served in both the private and public sectors.  From 2008 to 2016, he served as an Assistant Miami-Dade County Attorney focusing on transportation issues, public private partnerships, transit-oriented developments, complex commercial litigation, and property tax issues.  From 2002 to 2008, he was a commercial litigator in private practice at prominent state and national firms in both New York and Florida.  Judge Bokor also clerked for now-Chief Judge Steven D. Merryday of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.  Judge Bokor is a proud graduate of Southern Methodist University, where he obtained a B.A. in history, Foreign Languages (Spanish and German), and Latin American Studies, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he earned his J.D. and served as an editor on the Journal of Constitutional Law.