Jesse Scheckner
Two Judges from the 17th Judicial Circuit, Kenneth Gillespie and Jeffrey Levenson, were just recognized for their service and integrity by the Broward County Bar Association (BCBA).
Gillespie, the Administrative Judge of the Probate Division, was presented with the Executive Director’s Award, which acknowledges exceptional dedication and service to the legal profession and the broader Broward community.
Levenson, who serves in the Circuit Civil Division, received the Stephen R. Booher Award, a distinction reserved for jurists who exemplify humanity, integrity and a commitment to justice and public service.
The award, named in honor of the late Judge Stephen Booher, recognizes those who uphold the highest ideals of the judiciary.
Chief Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips praised both honorees, saying in a statement, “Their dedication and contributions to the legal community are truly commendable.”
Gillespie and Levenson received their awards at the BCBA’s annual Installation Dinner and Gala, which this year marked the organization’s 100th anniversary, on June 21 at the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale.
Appointed to the bench in 2009 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, Gillespie is a former Assistant State Attorney, senior trial lawyer for the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission and private practitioner. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.
Other recognitions he received include the National Association of Social Workers’ Elected Official of the Year Award and Judicial Advocate of the Year Award from the Broward County Guardian Ad Litem Office.
He previously received the Stephen R. Booher Award in 2021.
“I am both honored and humbled by this recognition,” Gillespie said in a statement. “Personally, it reinforces a principle I’ve always instilled in my children: ‘Commit and follow through.’ Once you commit, it becomes your responsibility to follow through.”
Levenson, whom former Gov. Jeb Bush appointed in 2005, has presided over a range of cases across the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Before becoming a Judge, he worked as a state prosecutor in Baltimore, a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, where he handled public corruption and narcotics cases, and a trial lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division.
He is a past President of the Broward County chapter of the Federal Bar Association and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law.
In accepting the award, Levenson expressed gratitude and deference to his justice system colleagues.
“I share this recognition with the dedicated judges, attorneys, judicial assistants, deputies, and clerks who are the backbone of our courthouse,” he said.
“The people of Broward County are fortunate to have the support of the BCBA, an organization deeply committed to justice, ethics, legal education, and public service.”
The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Broward County, is the second-largest judicial circuit in Florida. It includes four courthouses and 90 Judges who handle civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile matters.
