Alice Blackwell
After serving for 32 years as a highly-respected Florida circuit court judge, Alice joined the firm to serve as a counselor, private judge, and litigator for clients in connection with their business, commercial, and family matters. She brings a unique and valuable range of experience and knowledge to clients’ legal and practical issues due to her lifetime of service on the bench and to the community. Prior to joining the bench, Alice was a partner at a large statewide law firm where she practiced commercial litigation.
Community Involvement
Spanning 18 years while on the bench, Alice served as a member and chair of the Orange County Domestic and Child Abuse Commission. She was a member and on the Executive Board of the Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida, as well as the founding President of the Central Florida Family Law Inn of Court. Alice has also been a member of the George C. Young American Inn of Court where she was called upon to serve as its president. She has served on the Board of Directors at the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association. Alice is an active member at Northland Church.
Thought Leadership
Alice is a sought-out speaker who has presented and lectured frequently on diverse topics such as business law, discovery and pretrial activities, professionalism and ethics, domestic violence and family law, and criminal law. She has authored publications in The Florida Bar Journal and The Barry University Law Review. While she was a judge, Alice was often called upon to serve on statewide efforts for the courts, including as Chair of the Supreme Court Commission on Trial Court Performance and Accountability and on the Steering Committee on Families and Children in the Court.
Awards and Honors
Upon her retirement from the bench in 2023, the 16th floor of the Orange County Courthouse was named the “Judge Alice L. Blackwell Family Courts” in recognition of Alice’s dedication to families in court. Alice was elected by her peers as Chair of the statewide Florida Conference of Circuit Judges where she served for many years on the Executive Committee. During her tenure as a judge, she received the Chief Justice Award for Judicial Excellence from the Florida Supreme Court, the Trial Judge of the Year award from the Central Florida Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the James G. Glazebrook Memorial Bar Service Award from the Orange County Bar Association, and the Champion of Justice Award from Harbor House of Central Florida, as well as other honors and awards.
Educational Background & Involvement
Alice graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where she served as Managing Editor of the South Carolina Law Review and as a research assistant to her Torts professor. While in law school, Alice formed and ran a business doing UCC searches which she sold to a competitor when she graduated. Furman University is Alice’s undergraduate alma mater.
While on the bench, Alice taught and lectured extensively, including serving as faculty at the Florida Judicial College and the Florida Advanced Judicial College, where judges teach other judges. Alice also served as an Adjunct Professor at Barry University School of Law teaching Commercial Law and Family Law.
