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 "excerpt": "Alan Stephen Gold (born 1944) is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge for the Southern District of Florida, appointed by President Clinton in 1997.",
 "snippet": "Alan Stephen Gold (born 1944) is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge for the Southern District of Florida, appointed by President Clinton in 1997.",
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 "markdown": "# Alan S. Gold\n\nAlan Stephen Gold (born 1944) is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge of the [United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-florida), assuming senior status (semi-retired judges keep reduced caseloads and salary) in 2011 and fully retiring from the court on October 17, 2014.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> He was appointed to the court by President William J. Clinton in 1997 and assumed senior status on January 10, 2011.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | William J. Clinton<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | June 27, 1997 (voice vote)<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n| Senior status | January 10, 2011<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n| Born | 1944 in New York, NY<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., University of Florida, 1966; J.D., Duke University School of Law, 1969; LL.M., University of Miami School of Law, 1974<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nGold was born in 1944 in New York, New York.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> He earned a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from the [University of Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-florida) in 1966, a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from Duke University School of Law in 1969, and a Master of Laws from the University of Miami School of Law in 1974.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from law school, Gold served as a research assistant to Judge Charles Carroll of the Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District, from 1969 to 1970.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> He entered private practice in Miami in 1970 and then served as an assistant county attorney for Dade County, Florida, from 1971 to 1975.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> While at the county attorney's office, he represented Miami-Dade County in a civil rights case filed by attorney [William Kunstler](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-kunstler) and resolved the case favorably, and he used interpleader actions to address disputes over sewage allocation among municipalities in the county.<sup>[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GoldAugust2006_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)</sup>\n\nGold returned to private practice in 1975, spending 17 years at the firm Greenberg Traurig, where he handled cases until 1992.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GoldAugust2006_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nGold began his judicial career in 1992 as a judge on the Circuit Court of Florida, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, serving from 1992 to 1993 and again from 1993 to 1997.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> On February 12, 1997, President William J. Clinton nominated him to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup> He was confirmed by voice vote on June 27, 1997, received his commission on July 1, 1997, and served until assuming senior status on January 10, 2011.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)</sup>\n\n## Notable cases\n\nDuring his time on the federal bench, Gold presided over a criminal case in which the defendants were found guilty after a second trial; the case, along with his extensive order for the first trial, gained national media attention.<sup>[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GoldAugust2006_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)</sup>\n\nGold also presided over one of the nation's largest class action cases, Allapattah Services Inc. v. Exxon Corp. The case was appealed to the [Supreme Court of the United States](https://www.edgepedia.org/supreme-court-of-the-united-states), which affirmed Gold's decision, and the litigation later resulted in a classwide settlement of over $1 billion.<sup>[2](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GoldAugust2006_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1390486)\n2. [The Federal Lawyer: Judge Alan S. Gold](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/GoldAugust2006_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames F to G*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"Alan S. Gold\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-s-gold. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
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 "speakable": "Alan Stephen Gold is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge for the Southern District of Florida, appointed by President Clinton in 1997."
}