WSHC+B Founding Partner Joseph H. Serota was recently quoted in a Miami Herald article about the newly constructed Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, which now towers over the former historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse.
The article explores the ongoing efforts to preserve the old courthouse’s complex history as judges transition into the newer modern facility.
Joe, who helped lead the renovation efforts, discussed the importance of acknowledging the courthouse’s full history and explained decisions to preserve features such as a Jim Crow–era water fountain.The plaque over the fountain was dedicated for Black History Month along with another one across the hall marking the election of Barack Obama in 2008.
“I mean, that’s really history,” Serota said. “That was our justice system, and if that wasn’t hypocrisy, I don’t know what is.”
Joe recently made his first legal argument in the new, modern courthouse, describing the building in one word: “utilitarian.” Even so, he remains optimistic that the old courthouse will continue to be valued and he is hopeful that a new owner will preserve its unique architectural and historical features in an adapted space that honors its legacy for generations to come.
Joe is a founding partner of WSHC+B and serves as the firm’s General Counsel. He has long been a leader in Miami’s legal community and remains deeply connected to the history and evolution of the Miami-Dade court system.
Click here to view the article.
