Judith Nelson, a shareholder in the law firm of Nelson & Nelson, P.A. with offices in North Miami Beach and Miami, received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1982. From 1982 to 1985 she was panel counsel for Travelers Insurance Company. In 1985 Judith became an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Miami. In 1986 Governor Bob Graham appointed her to the Bench as a Judge of Compensation Claims.

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Judith Nelson served 15 years as a Judge of Compensation Claims for Dade and Monroe Counties, from 1986 to 2001, receiving reappointments by Governors Robert Martinez and Lawton Chiles. She retired from the Bench in 2001 and became a Supreme Court certified mediator so she could devote more time to The Victory Center for Children with Autism and Related Disabilities that she and her husband, Barry Nelson, founded in June, 2000 to provide quality education for individuals with autism like their son, Jesse. Judith has successfully resolved thousands of cases involving workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and labor issues. Judith is active as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, hearing a range of cases including employment discrimination, retaliatory discharge, restrictive covenant, wage and hour violations, contract disputes and personal injury. She is a member of the AAA Commercial Panel, and their Mediation Special Program Panel.

 

Judith Nelson has received The Woman of Valor award from the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Spectrum Award from the American Red Cross and The Steel Service Award from Steel Hector & Davis LLP. She has served on the Board of Directors of The University of Miami Center for Autism and Related Disabilities as well as The Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund. She is currently serving on The Workers Compensation Statewide Judicial nominating Commission and remains involved with the Victory Center for Autism.