The 25-year-old will oversee hearings, appeals, disputes, and ensure fairness alongside four associate judges.
Britney Deas has carved her place in history as the first Black woman chief justice of the University of Florida (UF) Supreme Court.
The 25-year-old Floridian and Haitian law student moved into the position this year around the start of Black History Month after serving as an associate justice in 2023, The Alligator reported. The new chief justice has taken the helm of overseeing hearings, appeals, disputes, and ensuring fairness alongside four associate judges.
Deas plans to hold panels and invite esteemed legal professionals to the university to engage law students.
The University of South Florida (USF) undergraduate alumna said about her trailblazing appointment, “Breaking down barriers for Black women and women in general has always been profoundly and deeply meaningful to me.”
Her passion for empowering women of color in leadership is evident through Deas’ past roles. At USF, she became the first Black student body president. Also, at the time, the university had not elected a female student body president in 20 years.