Cuban American Bar Association Holds Reception for Opening of Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center
MIAMI — November 19, 2025 – The Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) held a reception on Monday, November 10 to celebrate the grand opening of the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center, located at 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami. Its dedication represents a landmark moment, as it is the first courthouse in Florida to bear the name of an individual of Hispanic descent.
“Today marks a milestone for our community, not only the opening of a beautiful new courthouse, but to recognize a man whose life’s work help shaped the Miami we know today,” said Amanda Fernandez, president of CABA. “This is especially meaningful because it is the first courthouse in Florida to be named after a Hispanic individual.”
As part of the celebration, Fernandez presented a portrait of Osvaldo N. Soto, a gift from CABA to the people of Miami-Dade County that will hang in the new courthouse.
A founding member of CABA and one of its past presidents, Soto fought against discriminatory laws that targeted minorities. He was a civil rights advocate and lifelong defender of equality and justice for the Hispanic and minority communities in South Florida.
His personal experiences as a Cuban exile gave him a profound understanding of the struggles that immigrants faced and an empathy that fueled his relentless fight for civil rights. After participating in the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 as a member of the Assault Brigade 2506, and subsequently through his involvement in CABA, and as president of the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (“SALAD”) which he co-founded, Soto focused his life’s work on combating discrimination based on race and ethnicity. His advocacy also extended to legislative battles, most notably his role in overturning the divisive English-only ordinance passed in 1980.
A reception followed the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Miami-Dade County and in collaboration with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida and the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller.
The 23-story Justice Center replaces the historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse, which has served the community since 1928. The new Justice Center features 46 fully equipped courtrooms and four additional shelled courtrooms to support future expansion.
(Note to editor: Link to event photos here.)
Photo captions from left to right:
Photo 1-Osvaldo N. Soto Courthouse opening
Photo 2- Osvaldo N. Soto Courthouse opening
Photo 3- Honorable Bertila Soto and Amanda Fernandez
Photo 4-Amanda Fernandez and Honorable Bertila Soto
Photo 5- Amanda Fernandez, CABA president, former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman, Honorable Nushin G. Sayfie, Honorable Bertila Soto and David Lawrence
About the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA)
Founded in 1974, CABA is one of the largest bar associations in the state of Florida. Its membership is comprised of lawyers, law students, and paralegals from various backgrounds whose interests include not only those affecting the Cuban community, but human and legal rights issues impacting minority communities. CABA also founded CABA Pro Bono Legal Services and the CABA Foundation, both created on the association’s fundamental values to aid those in need through legal advocacy as well as offering scholarships to law students.
