--- title: "John D. Couriel | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # John D. Couriel Supreme Court of Florida · Chief Justice ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of Florida - State: Florida - Role: Chief Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - On April 27, 2026, the court unanimously elected him as chief justice, succeeding Carlos Muñiz, with his term starting July 1, 2026 - In 2009, Couriel became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, prosecuting hundreds of federal offenses, including international money laundering, public integrity crimes, healthcare fraud, and human trafficking. - John Daniel Couriel, born March 23, 1978, in Miami, Florida, is the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court ### Education - A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003, where he held the role of an editor of the Journal on Legislation. ### Additional information - He joined the court by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 1, 2020, filling a vacancy left by Barbara Lagoa and Robert J. Luck, and was retained in a 2022 election with 63.7% of the vote. - Before his judicial appointment, Couriel ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for the Florida State Senate in 2012 and the Florida House of Representatives in 2016. - In 2013, he joined Kobre & Kim LLP, specializing in cross-border disputes, asset recovery, and government enforcement defense, particularly for Latin American clients - Date of birth: 1978-03-23 - His public service experience and legal expertise contributed to his selection for the Florida Supreme Court - He clerked for Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York - focusing on securities, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, and investigations - Birth place: Miami ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media and still photography Scope: statewide Electronic media and still-photography coverage is allowed in Florida public trial and appellate proceedings under Rule 2.450's equipment and conduct standards, always subject to the presiding judge's control of decorum, distractions, and fair administration. Evidence excerpt: Subject at all times to the authority of the presiding judge to: (i) control the conduct of proceedings before the court; (ii) ensure decorum and prevent distractions; and (iii) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause, electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings in the appellate and trial courts of this state shall be allowed [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [Official roster](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [Supreme Court of Florida official judicial roster](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) - [Wikidata: John D. Couriel](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q95579496) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel", "name": "John D. Couriel | KnowJudges", "description": "John D. Couriel, Supreme Court of Florida. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-08-22", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel#judge", "name": "John D. Couriel", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel", "jobTitle": "Chief Justice", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Supreme Court of Florida" }, "sameAs": [ "https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf" ], "birthDate": "1978-03-23", "birthPlace": "Miami", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Harvard College" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Florida", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/florida" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John D. Couriel", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-d-couriel" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-f9444c394a89ab9f4ffde994) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450). Collected 2026-07-26.