James E.C. Perry

James E. C. Perry (born 1944) is an American judge. He is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.

Early life James E.C. Perry was born in 1944. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Accounting from St. Augustine’s College (now St. Augustine’s University) in 1966, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. Following his undergraduate studies, he served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army before attending Columbia Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1972. While at Columbia, he met his wife, Adrienne; the couple has three children, two of whom are attorneys.

Perry was the founder and president of the Jackie Robinson Sports Association, the largest baseball league in the nation serving at-risk youth, with over 650 boys and girls participating.

Judicial career In 1972, Perry filed a federal lawsuit against the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners after he and 49 other Black applicants took the Georgia bar exam and none passed, despite Perry having passed the multistate portion of the exam. Concerned about potential racial discrimination, Perry convened a meeting with the other unsuccessful Black applicants, and 16 agreed to join the lawsuit. The remaining applicants declined, concerned that pursuing the case could result in professional retaliation.

While the case was still pending, the following year saw a significant increase in the number of successful Black bar examinees in Georgia—48 new Black attorneys passed the exam, more than doubling the number of Black attorneys in the state at the time. He was succeeded by Justice C. Alan Lawson.

Awards and honors Justice Perry has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including:

Moot Court Competition Award, Puerto Rican Bar Association (2014) Key to the City of Titusville (2014) President's Award, Florida Memorial University (2014) Award of Appreciation, North Brevard County Branch NAACP (2014) Humanitarian Award, Seminole County NAACP Paul C. Perkins Award, Orange County Chapter NAACP Martin Luther King Drum Major Award for Social Justice (2005) Key to the City of New Bern, North Carolina (2004) Profiled honoree, An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence, United Negro College Fund (2005) Williams-Johnson Outstanding Jurist of the Year Award, Brevard and Seminole County Bar Associations (2006)

He has also received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Stetson University College of Law and Nova Southeastern University College of Law. Justice Perry has delivered commencement addresses at several institutions, including the University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University College of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Barry University School of Law, and Saint Augustine’s University. Seminole County's James E. C. Perry Courthouse Annex, which opened in 2024, bears his name.