Scott Makar
Encyclopedia
Scott Douglas Makar is an American lawyer and college professor who has been the Florida Solicitor General
since 2007 and in that position, has argued five cases before the United States Supreme Court.
in 1969. He graduated from Manatee High School
in 1977.
in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science
double majoring in mathematics & economics,
magna cum laude. At the University of Florida
, he received a Master of Business Administration
in finance and Master of Arts
in economics during 1982, then a Juris Doctor
with honors in 1987 and finally, a Doctor of Philosophy
in economics during 1993. Mr. Makar was founder and Editor-in-Chief of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy. He was also a member of the University of Florida Law Review
and received the Gertrude Brick Award. Makar clerked for a judge on the Eleventh Circuit
of the United States courts of appeals
, and at the Antitrust Division for the United States Department of Justice
, among others.
, University of North Florida
and Jacksonville University
. Part of his position as Florida Solicitor General includes teaching at Florida State University
.
on October 9, 1987. He joined Holland & Knight, LLP
in 1989 and became a Capital Partner prior to his departure in 2001. He was hired as chief of the appellate division in the Office of General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville
. He remained with the city for seven years.
Makar has written law review and law journal articles on a broad range of topics, many of which have been cited by commentators and courts, with several garnering legal writing awards. He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court's Standard Jury Instructions Committee (Civil) and currently serves as its chair emeritus. He served on the first Executive Council of the Florida Bar's Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section as a founding member. He also chaired the Appellate Practice Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association from 2001-02.
on February 13, 2007. McCollum did not seek re-election in 2010 and Pam Bondi
was elected Florida Attorney General. She retained Makar in the position and he serves as one of her senior advisers. As Florida Solicitor General, Makar oversees civil appeals involving the state’s interests in all state and federal appellate courts. He also holds the Richard W. Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair in the Florida State University College of Law
where he teaches. His $165,000 salary is split between the state and FSU.
Since becoming Solicitor General, Makar has argued cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court
, the First District Court of Appeal, several Judicial Circuits, and United States Supreme Court.
The cases were:
Over 100 of his cases have been reported, covering diverse topics.
, who was a co-worker at Holland & Knight. His wife is a professor at Florida Coastal School of Law
and 1984 Olympic Gold medalist
in swimming. Their home is in Jacksonville, Florida
and they have a son, Aaron (2001) and twin daughters, Helen-Clare & Millicent (2005).
His wife and son were able to attend several of his oral arguments at the US Supreme Court.
Florida Solicitor General
The Solicitor General of Florida or Florida Solicitor General is the top appellate solicitor for the U.S. State of Florida. It is an appointed position in the Office of the Florida Attorney General and the individual serves at the pleasure of the Attorney General...
since 2007 and in that position, has argued five cases before the United States Supreme Court.
Early years
Scott Makar was born in 1960 and his family moved to Holmes Beach, FloridaHolmes Beach, Florida
Holmes Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,100. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1969. He graduated from Manatee High School
Manatee High School
Manatee High School is an American public high school in Bradenton, Florida operated by the Manatee County School District.- History :What is now Manatee High School has had at least four names over the years and has had several different grade configurations during that time...
in 1977.
Education
Mr. Makar graduated from Mercer UniversityMercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
double majoring in mathematics & economics,
magna cum laude. At the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, he received a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in finance and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in economics during 1982, then a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
with honors in 1987 and finally, a Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in economics during 1993. Mr. Makar was founder and Editor-in-Chief of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy. He was also a member of the University of Florida Law Review
Florida Law Review
The Florida Law Review is the law review of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. The review was founded as the University of Florida Law Review in 1948. In 1989 its name was changed to the Florida Law Review. About 90 student members and two staff assistants produce the review...
and received the Gertrude Brick Award. Makar clerked for a judge on the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
of the United States courts of appeals
United States courts of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
, and at the Antitrust Division for the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, among others.
Teaching
His love for academics prompted Makar to begin teaching undergraduate courses when he was in law school. He has taught law courses at the University of Florida, Florida Coastal School of LawFlorida Coastal School of Law
Florida Coastal School of Law is a private law school in Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 1996, the school is owned by the for-profit educational investment fund InfiLaw....
, University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
and Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
. Part of his position as Florida Solicitor General includes teaching at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Lawyer
Makar was admitted to the Florida BarThe Florida Bar
The Florida Bar is the integrated bar association for the state of Florida. It is the third largest such bar association in the United States. Its duties include the regulation and discipline of attorneys....
on October 9, 1987. He joined Holland & Knight, LLP
Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight is an international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico. Holland & Knight provides representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law.-...
in 1989 and became a Capital Partner prior to his departure in 2001. He was hired as chief of the appellate division in the Office of General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville
Law and government in Jacksonville, Florida
-Administrative structure:The most noteworthy feature of Jacksonville government is its consolidated nature. The 1968 Duval County-Jacksonville consolidation eliminated any type of separate county executive or legislature, and supplanted these positions with the Mayor of Jacksonville and the City...
. He remained with the city for seven years.
Makar has written law review and law journal articles on a broad range of topics, many of which have been cited by commentators and courts, with several garnering legal writing awards. He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court's Standard Jury Instructions Committee (Civil) and currently serves as its chair emeritus. He served on the first Executive Council of the Florida Bar's Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section as a founding member. He also chaired the Appellate Practice Section of the Jacksonville Bar Association from 2001-02.
Solicitor
Makar was appointed as Florida Solicitor General by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollumBill McCollum
Ira William "Bill" McCollum, Jr. is a former Florida Attorney General. A Republican, he was Florida's 36th attorney general, taking office in 2007...
on February 13, 2007. McCollum did not seek re-election in 2010 and Pam Bondi
Pam Bondi
Pamela Jo Bondi is the current Attorney General of Florida.-Early life and education:Bondi's hometown is Temple Terrace, Florida. Her father, Joseph Bondi, was a City Councilman and then Mayor of Temple Terrace. She is a graduate of C. Leon King High School in Tampa, Florida...
was elected Florida Attorney General. She retained Makar in the position and he serves as one of her senior advisers. As Florida Solicitor General, Makar oversees civil appeals involving the state’s interests in all state and federal appellate courts. He also holds the Richard W. Ervin Eminent Scholar Chair in the Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law
Florida State University College of Law is the law school of Florida State University in Tallahassee. The law school's highly accomplished and accessible law faculty delivers a program that has an interdisciplinary orientation designed to produce well-rounded and effective lawyers.The law school...
where he teaches. His $165,000 salary is split between the state and FSU.
Since becoming Solicitor General, Makar has argued cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
, the First District Court of Appeal, several Judicial Circuits, and United States Supreme Court.
US Supreme Court
Typically, a state's Solicitor General will only have a case before the US Supreme Court every other year; Makar argued Florida Department of Revenue v. Piccadilly Cafeteria in 2007-2008, and nothing occurred in the 2008-2009 term. Florida was party to five cases in 2009-2010 and Makar personally argued four of them. In an interview, Makar claimed that the cashier of the cafeteria in the U.S. Supreme Court building saw him so often that she assumed he must work there, and offered him the employee discount.The cases were:
- Graham v. Florida and Sullivan v. Florida, (Juveniles sentenced to life without parole for non-homicide crimes) Graham won, Sullivan lost.
- Stop the Beach Renourishment Inc. v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, (homeowners opposed beach renourishment which would establish their property boundary at the water line before renourishment, instead of the subsequent water's edge after renourishment) Stop the Beach lost.
- Holland v. Florida, (challenged the one-year statute of limitations under the AEDPAAntiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214, is an act of Congress signed into law on April 24, 1996...
) Holland won.
Over 100 of his cases have been reported, covering diverse topics.
Future plans
When asked about his plans if he is replaced as Florida Solicitor General, Makar indicated that he would resume an appellate practice and continue to teach and write. Makar has also been working on two books.Personal
He is married to the former Nancy HogsheadNancy Hogshead-Makar
Nancy Hogshead-Makar is an American retired swimmer who competed for the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She won three gold and one silver medals in medley and freestyle swimming...
, who was a co-worker at Holland & Knight. His wife is a professor at Florida Coastal School of Law
Florida Coastal School of Law
Florida Coastal School of Law is a private law school in Jacksonville, Florida. Established in 1996, the school is owned by the for-profit educational investment fund InfiLaw....
and 1984 Olympic Gold medalist
Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics, held at the McDonald's Olympic Swim Stadium, located on the USC campus. There was a total of 494 participants from 67 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:...
in swimming. Their home is in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and they have a son, Aaron (2001) and twin daughters, Helen-Clare & Millicent (2005).
His wife and son were able to attend several of his oral arguments at the US Supreme Court.