Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady has announced his departure from the court, saying he accepted a job to head the University of Florida’s school for classical liberal education.
“It has been my great privilege to serve the people of Florida as a justice of the Supreme Court for the last 17 years,” Canady said in a statement released Nov. 17. “I will always deeply value my years on the Court.
“But the time has come to move on to another position of public service. I am looking forward to beginning 2026 as the director and a tenured professor at the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida,” he added.
The Gainesville-based school is meant in part to focus on the “foundations of Western and American civilization.”
The statement did not specify Canady’s last day on the court. Spokesperson Paul Flemming said Canady “has not submitted his resignation. He remains on the court.”
Canady went on, “I’m very grateful to UF Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini and Interim President Don Landry for this opportunity. And I am eager to begin my work with the outstanding students and faculty at the Hamilton School.”
The 71-year-old is currently the longest serving member of the state’s highest court, appointed in 2008 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. The Lakeland native would have faced mandatory retirement at age 75.
The move also means he’ll be gone from the court by the time his wife, state Rep. Jennifer Canady, is expected to take over the Florida House as speaker after the 2028 elections. Assuming the GOP continues its majority, she’ll be that chamber’s first woman speaker.
The opening also gives Gov. Ron DeSantis the opportunity to name a sixth justice to the seven-member court, leaving Jorge Labarga as the only sitting justice not picked by the two-term governor.
The last reported salary for state Supreme Court justices was $258,957; Canady’s compensation from UF was not immediately available.
Who is Charles Canady?
Canady received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College in Pennsylvania in 1976 and his law degree (J.D.) from Yale Law School in 1979, according to his official court bio.
He was in private practice, including with the Holland & Knight law firm, through the 1980s and early ’90s.
Canady served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 1984 to 1990, and later represented Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives 1993–2001, the bio says.
During his time in Congress, he was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and chaired the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution from 1995 to 2001.
After leaving Congress, Canady served as general counsel to Gov. Jeb Bush. He was appointed to Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal in 2002 and later to the Supreme Court.
There, he was chief justice three times, serving three two-year terms in 2010, 2018 and 2020, according to the bio.
The Canadys have two daughters.
This is a developing news story. Please check back later for more.
This story contains some previously published information. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.
