Myriam Lehr, Retired Judge, 11^th Judicial Circuit Court joins JAMS after serving 27 years as a judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Prior to her time on the bench, she practiced civil litigation in Miami, handling a wide variety of matters, including civil and family law mediations, where her natural skills in resolving conflicts became evident. She leverages her vast experience to facilitate equitable solutions as a mediator, arbitrator, special magistrate and neutral evaluator.

While on the bench, Ms. Lehr presided over hundreds of jury and non-jury trials, covering a variety of practice areas, including business/commercial, real property, insurance (first-and third party), water remediation, personal injury protection, employment, subrogation, breach of contract, breach of guarantees, foreclosures, commercial and residential evictions, dissolutions of marriage and domestic violence injunctions. She was known for conducting fair and impartial hearings and trials, with both parties leaving feeling heard. Her common sense approach included making optimal use of case management conferences that facilitated settlement and brought parties together—a testament to her skills in dispute resolution.

Ms. Lehr was widely known as a patient and deliberate jurist with a conciliatory temperament and a unique ability to defuse tension, even in the most contentious of matters. She continues to treat everyone with dignity and respect—her hallmark.

Ms. Lehr was born in Belgium and is fluent in French.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• As a neutral Ms. Lehr conducts in-person and virtual hearings.
• Throughout the course of her more than two-and-a-half decades on the bench, including her appointment as associate administrative judge of the Miami-Dade County Court Civil Division, Ms. Lehr presided over a wide range of civil matters and would work closely with counsel to facilitate settlement where appropriate.
• During the pandemic, Ms. Lehr was instrumental in transitioning court operations to virtual platforms, ensuring continued access to justice.

Representative Matters

• Business Commercial
• Presided over business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, partnership dissolutions and unfair/deceptive business practices
• Presided over disputes involving claims of replevin, indebtedness, civil forfeitures, commercial foreclosures, indemnification and contribution, injunctive relief and premises liability
• Presided over varied motions involving discovery disputes and other matters
• Employment Law
• Presided over wage and hour claims
• Insurance
• Presided over first- and third-party claims cases
• Presided over a variety of insurance coverage matters, including health care, auto, homeowners, personal injury and personal injury protection
• Real Property
• Presided over matters involving residential and commercial property contracts, including leases, purchases and sales, commission claims, deposit returns, homeowners association disputes, landlord-tenant disputes and water remediation cases
• Presided over motions and trials for commercial and residential assessment foreclosure defaults

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Memberships and Affiliations

• Member, National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), 2012–2020
  • Florida State Chair, 2013–2020
  • Annual Conference Co-Chair, 2012
• Co-Founder, North Dade Justice Center Partnership With the Alonzo and Tracey Mourning Law Academy, 2012–2024
• Founder and Co-Chair, North Dade Law Day Program, 2000–2024
• Co-Chair, Global Judicial Leadership Conference, 2019
  
  

Selected Awards and Honors

• Professional Excellence Award, Daily Business Review, 2022
• Women Making History Award, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, 2022
• Women of Vision Award, American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, 2003
• Judicial Lifetime Achievement Award, Dade County Bar Association, 2017
• Devorah Judge Award, Miami Jewish Legal Society, 2012

Background and Education

• 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, 1997–2024
  • Associate Administrative Judge, County Civil Division, Miami-Dade County, 2018–2024
• Certified Family Mediator, 1991–1996
• Associate; Ferro & Lehr, PA; 1987–1996
• J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1986
• B.A., Florida International University, 1980