April 24, 2026

Dear Miami-Dade Legal Community, Public Servants, Civic Leaders and all Miami-Dade County Residents,

I am proud to announce that I have been reelected without opposition to continue serving you as a Circuit Court Judge for a new term beginning in 2027. I could not have achieved this goal without your generous and steadfast support.

While traveling through our diverse and multifaceted county attending legal, social, civic, community and faith-based events, I have met many who, like me, believe in our justice system, in the rule of law and in the right of every person to bring their legal claims before a prepared, respectful and fair judge and an impartial jury.

I am honored and humbled by the support and trust you have placed in me. I strive to continue to earn that trust each and every day as I continue to serve you as a Circuit Court Judge.

With my deepest gratitude,

Judge Abby Cynamon

Re-Elect Abby Cynamon for Circuit Court Judge

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About Judge Abby Cynamon

Abby Cynamon is a first generation American. Her parents were displaced by the Holocaust and arrived in the U.S. in 1948. Her mother died when Abby was 12 and Abby spent her teens in foster care. Through great personal effort and dedication, Abby obtained a scholarship to attend Barnard College (Columbia University) and later, a Reid Scholarship to attend the University of Miami School of Law. Throughout college and law school, Abby worked part time, first as a waitress, and a janitor and later as a law clerk. The challenges she has faced and overcome have made her a compassionate, fair and experienced judge for all the people in Miami-Dade County.

Profiles in Service: Judge Abby Cynamon

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, April 2026

Continuing our Profiles in Service series, today we invite you to #GetToKnow Judge Abby Cynamon.

First elected to the Circuit Court bench in 2008, Judge Cynamon has presided over juvenile, family, civil, and appellate cases, where she served as administrative judge of the Appellate Division from 2012 to 2017.

Prior to becoming a judge, she was in private practice, then joined the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in 1993 as assistant general counsel. Over the next 15 years, she rose through the ranks, eventually serving as supervising staff attorney for the Civil Division until her election to the bench in 2008.

Judge Cynamon currently serves in the Circuit Civil Division, where she is known for her fairness, preparation, and professionalism – qualities stemming from the high personal standards she sets for herself.

“The obligations of punctuality, preparedness, and professionalism are the guiding principles I strive to follow every day,” she says. “It is my job to be on time for your hearing, to be prepared, and to give you the opportunity to make your argument and your record.”

Her leadership extends well beyond the courtroom. From 2018 to 2025, she served as a Track Leader for Judicial Education for the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, helping to shape statewide training for civil and family judges across Florida. She is also an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University College of Law, where she teaches business and family law and is known for her clear instruction and genuine investment in developing the next generation of lawyers.

Judge Cynamon’s service has been recognized with several honors, including the Junior League of Miami’s “Women Who Make a Difference” award and, most recently, the Miami Jewish Legal Society’s Devora Judge Award, highlighting her leadership and contributions to the judiciary.

Her professional achievements are even more powerful when viewed through the lens of her personal journey.

Judge Cynamon spent her teenage years in foster care, facing challenges that could have derailed her future. Instead, she focused on her education, ultimately earning a full scholarship to Barnard College, Columbia University, where she majored in History and Economics. She went on to earn both her Juris Doctor and an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law.

She credits the inspiration behind her legal career to her legal hero – a family court judge who served in Manhattan in the 1970s.

Though she does not remember the judge’s name, she remembers a hearing during her parents’ difficult divorce when the judge took the time to speak directly with the one person whose life would be most impacted by her decision: the young Judge Cynamon.

Today, nearly two decades into her judicial career, she continues to carry that lesson with her every day.

“I never forget that I am here to serve the public and that my decisions directly impact the lives of people who live and work in our community,” she says.

Judicial Service

Circuit Court Judge, Civil Division, 2025-present, 2018-2021 and 2012-2015
Circuit Court Judge, Family Division, 2021-2024 and 2015-2018
Administrative Judge, Circuit Appellate Division, 2011-2017
Circuit Court Judge, Juvenile Division, 2009-2012
Elected to the Circuit Court, 2008; re-elected 2014 and 2020

Other Work Experience

Adjunct Professor, St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, 2024-present
Adjunct Professor, The Law Center, Miami-Dade College, 2017-present
Track Leader, Civil Track, Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, 2020-2025
Track Leader, Family Track, Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, 2018-2019
Supervising Assistant General Counsel, 11^th Judicial Circuit, 2000-2008

Education

B.A., Barnard College, Columbia University. Received academic scholarship.
J.D., University of Miami School of Law. Received academic scholarship.
LL.M., Taxation, University of Miami School of Law

− Recipient, “Sense of Community Award,” given by Spanish American League Against Discrimination
− Recipient, “Women Who Make a Difference” Award, given by Junior League of Miami

Selected Community Service

Volunteer Judge, FIU Law Trial Advocacy Program
Judicial Mentor, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, American Bar Association
Guest Speaker, Career Day, Jose de Diego Middle School
Guest Speaker, Career Day, Fulford Elementary School
Guest Speaker, Career Day, Westview Middle School
Guest Speaker, Brownsville Middle School Law Academy
Mentor, Law Networking Breakfast, University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, FL
Panelist, Town Hall Meeting, presenting overview of court system to city residents, Miami, FL, Miami Shores, FL
Guest Speaker, Law Day, Hialeah Branch Courthouse
Volunteer Judge, ABA Labor and Employment Trial Advocacy Competition, Miami, FL
Cast Member, “The Gap,” a film produced by Casa Valentina on the impact of foster care on youth
Guest Speaker, Tuesday Evening Mentoring Group, Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services
Guest Speaker, Ethical Governance Day, sponsored by Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust
Guest Speaker, Law Day, Miami Beach Senior High School
Guest Lecturer, Mechina of South Florida Orthodox Jewish High School, Miami Beach, FL
Guest Lecturer, Junior ASA Program, Law Enforcement Memorial Senior High School, sponsored by Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
Volunteer Judge, First Annual Legal Eagle Competition, University of Miami School of Law.

Voluntary Bar Service

Former President, Florida Association for Women Lawyers
Member, Cuban American Bar Association
Member, Dade County Bar Association

Selected Presentations to Bar Associations and Other Professional Associations

Speaker, “Using Rule 1.380 to Obtain Compliance With Discovery,” North Dade Bar Association
Speaker, Teachers’ Law School, American Board of Trial Advocates, Miami Chapter
Speaker, “An Overview of the Florida Family Law Relocation Statute,” Miami Lakes Bar Association
Panelist, “Legends of Family Law,” Bench and Bar Conference, Dade County Bar Association
Panelist, “Practicing With Professionalism,” The Florida Bar Young Lawyers’ Division,
Panelist, “A Trial Re-Enactment: The Trial of Minoru Yasui,” Asian Pacific Bar Association
Panelist, “De-Mystifying Appeals to the 11th Judicial Circuit Appellate Division and the Limited Review by the Third District Court of Appeal,” Dade County Bar Association
Speaker, “The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court,” Coral Gables Bar Association
Speaker, Table for Eight Luncheon, Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Miami-Dade Chapter
Panelist, “Expert Testimony in a Post-Daubert Florida,” Family Law Inns of Court, Coral Gables, FL
Panelist, “Real Estate and Law: Bankruptcy, Divorce, Probate & More,” educational seminar jointly sponsored by Dade County Bar Association and Miami Association of Realtors, Miami, FL
Panelist, “Practicing With Civility and Avoiding Legal Malpractice,” Bench and Bar Conference, Dade County Bar Association
Speaker, “The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court,” Miami Beach Bar Association
Speaker, “The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court,” South Miami-Kendall Bar Association
Panelist, “Meet Your Judicial Administration,” Cuban American Bar Association
Panelist, Second Annual Legal Education Forum, co-sponsored by Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida and Miami-Biscayne Bay Chapter of The Links, Inc.
Panelist, “Motions Directed at Pleadings,” and “Direct Examination and Objections,” Pincus Professional Education.
Panelist, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Forensic Accounting and Litigation Services Conference
Speaker, “Know Your Judge: Tips for More Successful and Stress- Free Hearings,” Dade Legal Aid, Miami, FL
Speaker on Trauma, as part of “Family Court Issues,” International Association for the Study of Attachment, Fourth Annual Conference
Panelist, “As Judges See It: Best (and Worst) Practices in Civil Litigation, National Business Institute Judicial Forum, Miami, FL
Panelist, “A View from the Bench: Foreclosures and Civil Discovery,” Daily Business Review, Miami, FL

Teaching Other Judges

Presenter, “Emergency Motion Mayhem and Pro Se Pitfalls,” Annual Education Program of the Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges
Presenter, “What Hat Are You Wearing: Reconciling Chapters 39 and 61,” Annual Education Program of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, Orlando, FL
Presenter, “The Appellate Division of the Circuit Court,” New Judges’ Orientation, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
Facilitator, “Mental Health Assessments,” Advanced Judicial Studies, Florida Conference of Circuit Judges
Presenter, “Appellate Panel Refresher for Circuit and County Court Judges”
Presenter, “See You Directly: Juveniles in Adult Court,” Annual Education Program of the Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges