Serving as Judge Paul Hawkes filled nine years of a long career in law and government in Florida. For more than 25 years, including serving as an appellate judge, Paul Hawkes has worked in various positions throughout the three branches of Florida government. The former DCA Judge Paul Hawkes is excited to recall what he has accomplished, and he is looking forward to 25 more years of active membership in the Florida Bar.

After his service on the bench, Judge Paul Hawkes says, “I worked hard on the DCA, and benefited from working with great colleagues and professionals at the court. Throughout my years on the court, working with the great people on the First, I did the absolute best that I could to help the court be the best it could be. After all, the work the court does is incredibly important, serving as the final review most litigants will receive and having an obligation to the bench and bar to provide clarity and certainty to the law. My efforts included using the knowledge and experience I had gained prior to becoming ‘Judge Paul Hawkes.’ We created a new approach to handle workers’ compensation cases that save over 100 days of processing time, we implemented a state-of-the-art electronic record management system that improved the court’s ability to serve litigants, the taxpayers, and, of course the judges and staff of the court.”

Before he became Judge Paul Hawkes, he worked in other constitutional offices during his professional career. Before he was a judge, Paul Hawkes worked as an Assistant State Attorney, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, serving two terms in the Florida House from 1990 to 1994, and he served on the Constitutional Revision Commission.

As a State Representative, Paul Hawkes represented the people of Citrus, Marion, and Hernando Counties in districts 26 and 43. While in the House he served in a number of House committees including the Commerce, Health Care, Public Schools, and Governmental Operations Committees. It was during his service in the House that he felt called to serve as Judge Paul Hawkes, an ambition that would not be fulfilled for nine more years.

Later, in 1996, the Republicans won the Majority in the Florida House. This was a historic accomplishment, as the Republicans had not held the majority in the Florida House since reconstruction had ended in 1874. The Republican’s victory in the 1996 elections leads to a new opportunity for an experience that would prove beneficial when Paul Hawkes became “Judge Paul Hawkes.” He was given the opportunity to serve as Special Counsel to the first Republican Speaker in 122 years. The time in such an important staff position allowed Paul Hawkes to learn the legislative process from a different perspective.

Serving as Judge Paul Hawkes was certainly a significant opportunity, but just part of an entire career of public service – service that included Prosecutor, State Representative, Constitutional Revision Commission member, and a Judgeship on the First DCA. But, hopefully, being Judge Paul Hawkes will not be the final opportunity to serve the law.