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Jan Smith-Florez

Self


Born in Texas, Judge Flórez is a former educator who practiced law in Santa Cruz County from 1980 through 1996. She was elected Santa Cruz County Attorney in 1992 and served a four-year term. In 1996, she was appointed to the Court of Appeals, Division Two, where she currently serves. She mediates most domestic relations cases in Division Two’s mediation program. She was the first woman appointed to Division Two of the Court of Appeals. In 2000, Judge Flórez was named one of Arizona’s 100 Outstanding Women and Minority Lawyers in the history of the legal profession. Flórez co-founded a nonprofit organization entitled “Mi Nueva Casa.” This organization assists the “tunnel kids” who live in the tunnels under Nogales’s streets. Mi Nueva Casa helps the children by providing them with education, food, medical assistance, clothing, and shelter. Flórez’s other involvements include having served on the Boards of Directors for the Santa Cruz Child Care Center, the local economic development foundation, and the Hilltop Art Gallery. She has also served as president of the Santa Cruz County Bar Association and helped establish the Santa Cruz County Victim Witness Program. She is active in Zonta International and in her church.