Leslie B. Rothenberg

Florida Trial and Appellate Lawyer

Leslie Rothenberg is a former Florida trial judge and appellate court judge. She served for eleven years on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court (Miami-Dade County), and fourteen years as an appellate court judge on the Third District Court of Appeal. During her tenure on the Third District Court of Appeal, she was elected by her peers to serve as Chief Judge and President of the District Court of Appeal Judges, where she represented the appellate judiciary state-wide and ran the judicial education program. Her twenty-five years on the bench and her experience trying cases and issuing rulings and written opinions have earned her the respect of her colleagues, the legal community, and the community at large.

In 2021, Judge Rothenberg marked her return to the 11th Judicial Circuit court when she was elected to the Florida Bar’s Board of Governors, Seat 6 for the 11th Circuit. As one of just 52 members of the Florida Bar’s Board of Governors, Judge Rothenberg and her peers serve all 109,000 members of The Florida Bar and are responsible for creating and implementing all policy changes.

Prior to Judge Rothenberg’s tenure on the bench, she served as a prosecutor for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted violent and repeat offenders, homicides, and capital sexual batteries while supervising an entire felony division.

Over the course of her career, Judge Rothenberg has tried over 100 jury trials as a lawyer and over 300 jury trials as a judge. She has authored nearly 1,000 published opinions on the law. Her opinions include comprehensive opinions regarding tobacco and asbestos litigation, wrongful death, and product liability cases, closing argument errors, and corporate liability. She also has extensive expertise in personal injury, appeals, and expert witness, making her an invaluable resource to her colleagues and clients. Judge Rothenberg is known for her dedicated work ethic and effectiveness both in and out of the courtroom.

Judge Rothenberg has lectured on a number of topics, including human trafficking, public corruption, sexual predators, preservation of error, how to avoid closing argument error, effective appellate advocacy, stare decisis, constitutional issues, statutory interpretation, ethics, and professionalism.

Education

• JD, Nova Southeastern School of Law, 1986
• BA, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • University of Denver, Denver, CO.

Bar Admissions

• Florida, 1986
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 2019

Professional Associations

• Dade County Bar Association
• The Florida Bar [elected to The Florida Bar Board of Governors in 2021]
• Cuban American Bar Association
• Florida Association for Woman Lawyers

Awards

Community Involvement

Alongside her work, Judge Rothenberg is incredibly active in her community.

Her community service roles include:

• Guardian Ad Litem for abused, neglected and abandoned children.
• Board of Directors, Kristi House (for abused children)
• Board of Directors, Urban League: Manhood Development Council (at-risk inner-city children)
• Dade County Criminal Justice Victims Rights Committee
• Capital Crimes Commission (Appointed by Governor Bush)
• Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee (Appointed by the Florida Supreme Court)
• Co-Chair, Israeli Affairs Committee, National Council of Jewish Women
• Instructor, Juvenile Diversion Program for First-Time Offenders
• Domestic Violence Sub-Committee, National Council of Jewish Women
• Instructor, The Florida Bar Career Prosecutor / Public Defender Program
• Volunteers for Israel Program: Volunteered to work on an army base in Israel during the Gulf War