Congratulations are in order for Britney Deas, a 25-year-old law student, who made history after she became the first Black woman to be appointed to Chief Justice of the University of Florida Supreme Court in January.
According to the Alligator, Deas, a UF Levin College of Law student, landed the prestigious role on Jan. 31 and hopes to build an equitable future for women around the world.
“I was always inspired by women fighting oppression and women who are standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves,” Deas told the outlet.
“I saw it in my home with my grandmother, my great grandmother and my mother. Breaking down barriers for Black women and women in general has always been profound and deeply, deeply meaningful to me.”
Deas, a Miami native, also took to Instagram to announce the big news on Feb. 1. The University of South Florida (USF) alumni called the historic achievement “a full circle moment,” as she previously made history in 2019, becoming the first Black woman ever and first woman in over 20 years to serve as the USF Student Body President.
“I am so honored to ring in Black History Month as the First Black woman Chief Justice of the UF Supreme Court. This is a full circle moment for me to, once again, serve the student body,” she penned.
She’s already busy in her new role.
Under her new Chief Justice role, Deas will oversee hearings and will serve as the point of contact for anything being submitted for review. She, along with the four associate judges, preside over hearings and strive to ensure fairness is prioritized when resolving disputes brought before the court. During her interview with the Alligator, Deas noted that a significant portion of her workload has involved mediating disputes among members of the Student Government (SG).
Her inaugural meeting as chief justice at the University of Florida Supreme Court took place within a week of her appointment. Due to the failure of the student senate to fill vacancies in the elections committee on schedule, the court convened to appoint individuals to fill those positions.
According to her LinkedIn page, Deas graduated from USF in 2020 with a degree in Political Science and Mass Communications. During her undergraduate years, she held various leadership positions, including roles in the Student Alumni Association and the Order of the Golden Brahman, USF’s premier leadership organization dedicated to promoting and protecting the university.
Additionally, Deas actively participated in Student Government, initially as a volunteer and later as a two-term senator. In 2023, she served as a federal judicial intern at the U.S. District Court in Tampa. Over the years, she has been honored with a Florida Senator’s Proclamation, a Commendation from the Hillsborough County Commission and the 2019 Tampa Bay Rays Breaking Barriers Community Leader Award.
In December, the hard-working law student became a member of the Florida Blue Key, a prestigious leadership honorary organization at the University of Florida.
Congrats to Britney Deas!
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