Jeri Beth Cohen — a 2019 David Lawrence, Jr. Champion for Children recipient — is a Circuit Judge in Miami’s Dependency and Criminal Drug Court Divisions and chair of the Supreme Court of Florida subcommittee responsible for statewide standards. She works with the Department of Justice, Children and Family Futures and the National Drug Court Institute to develop the curricula training drug courts across the country. She chairs the Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals, sits on the Board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and chairs the South Florida Behavioral Health Network.

Judge Cohen in 1999 established Miami’s first Dependency Drug Court, which today serves as a national court and has since had participation from over 1400 children and families.