Shari Olefson

Honorable
Shari Beth Africk-Olefson
Circuit Court Judge, Broward County
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2019
Preceded byPaul Backman
Personal details
BornShari Beth Olefson
1963 (age 62–63)
New York City
Education

Shari Beth Africk-Olefson[1] (born 1963[2]) is an elected Broward County Circuit Court Judge.[3] She was elected in August 2018.[4]

She has been certified by The Florida Bar in real estate law.[5]

Early life and education

Africk-Olefson was born in New York City and raised both in New York and Florida, where she graduated from Pine Crest School in 1981. She graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University[2] with degrees in journalism and psychology in 1985, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University,[2] and from the University of Miami Masters of Law program in 1989.[2] In 2023, she received the Alumni Achievement Award from U.M. School of Law.[6]

Following her graduation from the U.M. School of Law, Africk-Olefson studied broadcast journalism at Columbia University and earned a master's degree in psychology from Nova Southeastern University.

Career

While in law school, Africk-Olefson interned at the Broward County Public Defenders office[7] and worked for a New York City based law firm before opening a general private practice in South Florida.

In 2002, Africk-Olefson, then president of Virtual Media Networks, filed a patent[8] for technology to help create virtual tours of U.S. college campuses.[9] At the time, she was not a practicing attorney.[10] In 2007, she worked for Arnstein & Lehr.[11]

Multiple news outlets quoted Africk-Olefson as a Florida real estate law expert during the subprime mortgage and the 2010 foreclosure crises, as well as the period following.[a] She worked for Tampa-based law firm Fowler White Boggs during this period,[21] which she had joined in January 2009.[22] During this same time, she also became a resource for policy makers and worked with Florida's Collins Center, meditating residential foreclosure cases.[23][24]

In May 2012, Africk-Olefson was dismissed from Fowler White Boggs, for which she filed a suit alleging discrimination in 2013. Though the suit mentioned Africk-Olefson's lesbianism, her sexual orientation was not included in the claim.[25]

Africk-Olefson served as director of The Carnegie Group.[26] She also established the Women’s Equal Pay Network in 2012.[7]

Circuit court judge

On May 4, 2018, Africk-Olefson enter the Florida primary race for Broward Circuit Court judge, Group 36.[27] The Dolphin Democrats, Broward County's LGBTQ caucus, endorsed her,[28] as did the Broward County chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.[29] Between May 4 and August 10, Africk-Olefson spent US$385,592 for her campaign, with US$365,000 of it being her own funds.[30]

She won the election in August 2018,[4] and was sworn in by Chief Judge Jack Tuter on 7 January 2019 to begin serving in the Juvenile Dependency division.[31]

In February 2026, Africk-Olefson granted an emergency injunction to stop Pembroke Park commissioners from voting on the removal of Mayor Geoffrey Jacobs while he was in Alaska on business.[32] In March, she heard arguments in the case of Jacobs v. Town of Pembroke Park and ruled in favor of Jacobs, that the commissioners could not oust the mayor from his elected position and subvert the will of voters.[33]

Selected publications

Articles

  • Olefson, Shari (May 2013). "FHA, Fannie and Freddie: What's Government's Role in Housing?". Loan Think. National Mortgage News. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  • Olefson, Shari (June 2013). "Tax Policy Change Could Hurt Homeowners". Origination News. Vol. 22, no. 9. p. 4. Gale A332235309.
  • Taylor Barner, Florence; Africk-Olefson, Shari; Gillespie, Kenneth L.; Izquierdo, Jose (March 10, 2026). "Thinking of suing? Here's how things work in small claims court". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 26, 2026.

Books

Personal life

Africk-Olefson married Pamela Africk on March 1, 2018.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Africk-Olefson was interviewed or quoted in 2009 by The Wall Street Journal;[12] in 2010 by National Mortgage News,[13] CNBC,[14] and The Palm Beach Post;[15][16] in 2011 by the Miami Herald;[17] in 2012 on the Nightly Business Report;[18] in 2014 by Yahoo Finance;[19] and in 2015 by CBS This Morning.[20]

References

Sources

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