Lisa Davidson Kahn

Judge

Circuit Court, 18th Circuit

Viera, Florida

Lisa Davidson Kahn is a Circuit Court Judge for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit in Brevard County, Florida. She is currently assigned to the general civil and family division, and is the Administrative Family Law Judge for Brevard County. She has served as an associate judge on the Fifth District Court of Appeal. Before her appointment to the Circuit Court in 1998, Judge Kahn served as a County Court Judge for over four years. Aside from her judicial experience, Judge Kahn practiced as an assistant state attorney, as an assistant public defender, and as a partner in her own law firm.

Judge Kahn was asked to serve on the Justice Web Collaboratory Advisory Committee in December 1999 by its Chairman, Justice George Nicholson, Associate Justice on the Court of Appeal, Third District, State of California. Judge Kahn currently serves on the Florida Courts Technology Commission. She was appointed to this position by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Major B. Harding in May 1999.

Judge Kahn actively promotes judicial and attorney professionalism. She has been a member of Florida's Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee since 1995, and chaired the Committee from July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999. The Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee is responsible for drafting opinions in response to ethical questions propounded by judges.

The American Judicature Society appointed Judge Kahn to an advisory committee to develop ethics education for judges and members of their families.

She was appointed as a mentor to new judges by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan in September 1996, and she continues to serve in that capacity. In 1999 she was selected as Florida's State Mentor Director for New Judges. This statewide program is designed to provide new judges with mentors during their first year on the bench. In October 1999 she developed a state mentor-training program for Florida's mentor judges. At that training program Judge Kahn presented "Answers to Common Ethical Questions of New Judges."

Along with The Honorable John Antoon, 11, who serves on Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal, she presented a two-day course at Florida's Advanced Judicial College on, "Ethics In and Out of the Courtroom."

Judge Kahn works to promote professionalism among attorneys. She is a Charter Member of the Vassar B. Carlton American Inn of Court, and currently serves as President of the chapter.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan appointed her to the Florida Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism, from October 1996 through June 1998. In 1997 Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead appointed her as co-chair of the Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism's Bar Committee. She continues to serve in that capacity.

She has co-chaired the Brevard County Bar Association's Professionalism Committee from September 1998 to the present. Along with the President-Elect of the Brevard County Bar Association, she developed and coordinated the "Brevard County Women Lawyers' Symposium," sponsored by the Brevard County Bar Association in 1998. Judge Kahn coordinated and presented with John Dean Moxley, Jr., Chief Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit, and with John Antoon, 11, 5th District Court of Appeal Judge, a four-hour continuing legal education seminar for the Brevard County Bar Association on Professionalism/Ethics, in 1998. That same year she also participated in the Seminole County Bar Association's Family Law Bench and Bar Professionalism Seminar.

Judge Kahn is actively involved in seeking solutions to domestic violence. On December 14, 1999, she was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to the Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence. She was a member of the Steering Committee, a moderator, and a panelist for the May 1995 Domestic Violence Justice Conference sponsored by the Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence.

She was the Chairperson of The Florida Bar Family Law Section's Domestic Violence Committee from November 1993 until June 1996. During her chairmanship of this committee she spearheaded the development of a domestic violence continuing legal education seminar ­"'Til Death Do Us Part?" -- presented during The Florida Bar's January 1997 Midyear Meeting. She also served on the steering committee for The Florida Bar's domestic violence manual that was published in 1995. She wrote "Sentencing Considerations In Domestic Violence Cases" for that manual.

Judge Kahn was a founder and served as the Chairperson of the Brevard County Domestic Violence Task Force from June 1995 through June 1997. Judge Kahn continues to serve as a member of the task force, and is presently Chairperson of the domestic violence task force court issues subcommittee. During her tenure as Chairperson of the domestic violence task force, Judge Kahn was instrumental in establishing a supervised Visitation Center in Brevard County.

Judge Kahn was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Commission on Minimum Standards for Batterers' Intervention from September 1995 to June 1999. Locally, Judge Kahn served on the steering committee for the 1994 domestic violence conference sponsored by the Women's Center of South Brevard and the WENDI program.

When Judge Kahn served as a county judge, she was actively involved in the Conference of County Court Judges. She served on the County Court Judges' Bench Book Committee. This committee designed a Criminal Law bench book for Florida's County Court Judges. Judge Kahn wrote several sections of this bench book.

Judge Kahn's participates in several statewide and national family law organizations. She currently serves on the Conference of Circuit Court Judges' Family Law Committee. In addition, she currently serves on the Executive Council of The Florida Bar's Family Law Section, and has served on The Florida Bar Family Law Section's Ethics and Attorney's Fees Committee. Judge Kahn was selected for current service on The Florida Bar's Family Law Rules Committee. Judge Kahn has been a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges from February 1995 to the present. She was appointed to the Judicial Education/Technical Assistance Committee of the NCJFCJ from June 1997 to July 1998, and she was appointed to the NCJFCJ Judicial Ethics Committee in 1999.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan appointed her to the Family Courts Steering Committee in 1996. From 1996 to 1997 she was appointed to the model courts subcommittee of the Family Courts Steering Committee. From 1997 to 1998 she was appointed to both the legislative and funding subcommittee and the clearinghouse subcommittee. Currently she serves on the Family Courts Steering Committee's domestic violence subcommittee.

Judge Kahn participates in various organizations. She was appointed to The Florida Bar Journal/News Editorial Board. She is presently on the Executive Council of The Florida Bar's General Practice Solo & Small Firm Section, in which she also chairs that section's Professionalism and Ethics Committee. She is a member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Judge Kahn has been active in local community organizations. She has served on the Board of Directors for The Haven, a home for abused children. She was also chosen to serve as Vice President of Friends of Children of Brevard, Inc., which is the Board of Directors of the Guardian ad Litem program. From 1997 through 1999, Judge Kahn chaired the Palm Bay High School Mentor Program for Law Cluster Students. Judge Kahn worked with Project Response, an organization that gives direct aid and support to people with the HIV virus. She served on the Advisory Board of Project Response from July 1992 through August 1993, and served on the Board of Directors from August 1993 through December 1993. She also gives numerous speeches to organizations, as time permits.

Judge Kahn has received numerous awards. In 1999, she was selected by the Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc., as Law Related Education Judge of the Year. The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence honored Judge Kahn in that same year for her work in domestic violence. The Children's Services Council presented Judge Kahn with a Certificate of Appreciation in 1998.

The Brevard County Public Schools presented Judge Kahn with a Certificate of Appreciation for helping to establish Palm Bay High School's Courtroom in 1997. That same year she was presented with a Resolution adopted by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners in recognition of her contributions as Chairman of the Brevard County Domestic Violence Task Force. In 1993 Governor Lawton Chiles and the Florida Supreme Court recognized Judge Kahn for her dedication to the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program.