Miami-Dade County Commissioners Vote to Rename New Courthouse After the Late Attorney Osvaldo N. Soto
MIAMI — March 18, 2025 – Today, Miami-Dade County Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to rename the new courthouse after the late attorney, Osvaldo N. Soto. Mr. Soto was one of the Cuban American Bar Association’s (CABA) founding members and a past president who fought against discriminatory laws that targeted minorities. The new courthouse will be named the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center.
“This is a historic moment and we thank the county commissioners for unanimously voting to pass this important resolution,” said Amanda L. Fernandez, president of CABA. “This will be the first courthouse in Florida named after someone of Hispanic descent.”
Last October, CABA, its Board of Directors, its past presidents, along with hundreds of prominent members of the Miami-Dade community submitted a formal request to all members of the Miami-Dade County Commission and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, seeking their consideration to name the new Miami-Dade courthouse in honor of Mr. Soto.
Mr. Soto 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 in a new land. It was this deep empathy that fueled his relentless fight for civil rights in South Florida. After participating in the Bay of Pigs Invasion 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, Mr. 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.
The new courthouse is being built near the historic Miami-Dade County Courthouse located at 73 West Flagler Street, Miami and is expected to be completed this year.
About the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA)
Founded in 1974, CABA is one of the largest voluntary bar associations in the state of Florida. Its membership is comprised of lawyers, judges and law students of diverse backgrounds, whose interests include not only those affecting the Cuban American community in the United States, but also human and legal rights violations impacting individuals around the world. CABA also founded CABA Pro Bono Legal Services and the Cuban American Bar Foundation, both created based upon CABA’s fundamental values to aid those in need through legal advocacy as well as offering scholarships to law students.
