Attorney Dan Stengle leads retirement ceremony for Justice Lewis
It’s a high honor from the high court. Retired Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis selected Dan Stengle of Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, to serve as the master of ceremonies for a recent reception lauding his distinguished legal and judicial career.
Attorneys from across the state attended the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society event on April 18 in Coral Gables, where Stengle introduced several prominent figures from Lewis’ career and life. Among the key figures in attendance were Michael Higer and Michelle Suskauer, the two most recent presidents of The Florida Bar, along with current Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara Lagoa and Alan Lawson.
“We’re extremely proud of Dan for being chosen to emcee the ceremony in honor of Justice Lewis,” Trial Attorney P.J. Scheiner said. “Dan is highly regarded throughout the state, and we’re honored to have him as part of our firm.”
Stengle played an instrumental role in the appointment of Lewis to the Florida Supreme Court in 1998, when Stengle was the general counsel to then-Gov. Lawton Chiles. Stengle was one of two people, along with Lewis’ wife, to hold the Bible when Lewis was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice.
“When he asked me to emcee the Supreme Court Historical Society’s Celebration of his Supreme Court career, Justice Lewis said, ‘You were there for me at the beginning, and I would very much appreciate your being there for me at the end’ of his stellar Supreme Court service,” Stengle said. “I didn’t hesitate for a moment.”
Stengle has the same enthusiasm for helping Lewis with the new Justice Teaching Center at Florida Southern College, a program Lewis founded to give children a better understanding of government and the law. Other Bruce L. Scheiner attorneys will soon join Stengle in volunteering for the center.
They’ll visit elementary, middle and high school classrooms to teach nonpartisan, law-focused civics lessons and activities aligned with state standards in civics and government. They’ll also impart wisdom from their careers and provide children with tangible, real-life examples of the legal profession.
“It’s hard to get access to justice if you don’t know what it is or how it works,” Stengle said. “That’s why it’s so important we share our knowledge of the system with these students.”
Visit flsouthern.edu/centers-institutes and search for the Justice Teaching Center to learn how the program operates or to help a school get involved. Go to blslaw.com to see all the ways Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner works to clear the path to justice.
