Wade L. Hopping
Encyclopedia
Wade L. Hopping was a justice of the Florida Supreme Court
from 1968 to 1969. Appointed by Governor Claude Kirk at the age of 37, Wade was the youngest justice to be appointed to the Court. He was defeated in an election for the seat the following year.
Born in Dayton, Ohio
, Hopping received a B.A.
in Political Science from Ohio State University
in 1953, and an L.L.B./J.D.
from that university's Moritz College of Law
in 1955. He entered private practice in Columbus, Ohio
, then moved to Florida in 1958 to serve as a law clerk
for Florida Supreme Court justice T. Frank Hobson. After a brief return to private practice in Palm Beach, Florida
from 1960-1961, Hopping again clerked on the Florida Supreme Court, this time for Chief Justice Glenn Terrell
, from 1962 to 1964. Hopping became a legislative assistant to Governor Kirk in 1967, leading to Kirk's appointment of Hopping to the Florida Supreme Court the following year.
After leaving the court, Hopping remained in private practice for the remainder of his career, working in the area of environmental law
, often representing corporate interests in efforts to reduce environmental protections. Hopping died in Tallahassee, Florida
of esophageal cancer.
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...
from 1968 to 1969. Appointed by Governor Claude Kirk at the age of 37, Wade was the youngest justice to be appointed to the Court. He was defeated in an election for the seat the following year.
Born in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Hopping received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Political Science from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1953, and an L.L.B./J.D.
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...
from that university's Moritz College of Law
Moritz College of Law
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law is a public law school and charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. According to the 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the Moritz College of Law is 35th in the nation overall and is in the top ten among public law schools. The...
in 1955. He entered private practice in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, then moved to Florida in 1958 to serve as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Florida Supreme Court justice T. Frank Hobson. After a brief return to private practice in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
from 1960-1961, Hopping again clerked on the Florida Supreme Court, this time for Chief Justice Glenn Terrell
Glenn Terrell
Glenn Terrell is an American academic, and the former president of Washington State University, serving from 1967–1985.-Early life and education:...
, from 1962 to 1964. Hopping became a legislative assistant to Governor Kirk in 1967, leading to Kirk's appointment of Hopping to the Florida Supreme Court the following year.
After leaving the court, Hopping remained in private practice for the remainder of his career, working in the area of environmental law
Environmental law
Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity...
, often representing corporate interests in efforts to reduce environmental protections. Hopping died in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
of esophageal cancer.
Sources
- "Former Justice Hopping dies", The Florida Bar News (September 1, 2009), p. 3.
- Wade L. Hopping: Longtime foil for Florida environmentalists, St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
(August 12, 2009).