Judge Jessica Recksiedler serves Florida’s 18th Judicial Circuit and has heard wide-ranging cases within the Civil/Family Division before returning to the criminal division. A member of the Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers, she has been selected as Co-Jurist of the Year by the organization. Judge Jessica Recksiedler served on the state court’s Judicial Needs Assessment Committee and currently serves on the Florida Conference for Circuit Judges Executive Committee as the Civil Justice Committee co-chair. Ms. Recksiedler has an extensive background in private practice and has handled complex matters of commercial, probate, construction, and insurance law. She also represented clients in criminal defense cases, knowledge that has served her in presiding over Felony Criminal Division cases within the 18th Judicial Circuit. Committed to sharing her legal expertise with those of limited financial means, she has presented at the Brevard County Legal Aid Pro Bono Awards.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
There is not a typical day, as the calendar and docket varies, but on most days, I start court at 9 am; unless I am in trial, then it is earlier. I am in court most of the morning, work on my orders, reviewing case files or reviewing the next day’s docket during lunch, and have court in the afternoon. I am consistently working and preparing, which allows me to know my docket and facilitates moving through my cases effectively and efficiently.
How do you bring ideas to life?
When I was an adult drug court judge (and more so as Deputy Chief and Chief Judge), I worked to expand mental health and substance abuse resources for our circuit. I worked with our stakeholders to expand treatment facilities, obtain funding, and expand our problem-solving court programs. Also, I obtained funding to expand our courthouse and courthouse construction in both counties. I brought ideas to life by recognizing the issue, developing relationships, and working hard to meet my goals.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I don’t have a “trend” that excites me. I do find artificial intelligence very interesting, and its development in the practice of law. Otherwise, spending time with my family is what I look forward to outside of work.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I always prepare the day before my dockets. It allows me to know what issues I need to address or focus on and allows me to move my docket more effectively and efficiently.
What advice would you give your younger self?
When a mistake is made, don’t beat yourself up; learn from it and move forward.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I cannot think of any belief or idea that nobody agrees with me. I believe I have opinions that some agree with, and some do not.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Always prepare and make sure to work hard to achieve your goal.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I take a step back, take a breath, and try to regain focus. If it is more overwhelming, I exercise. It helps me release my stress and facilitates clearing my head and resolving any issues.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Hard work. You can never work too hard or be too prepared. That is why I was a successful trial lawyer. And when I had ran for election to become a Circuit Judge, I put 70,000 miles on my vehicle the year of my campaign. I won the election not only because of my qualifications, but because I worked hard too.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I don’t consider any part of my career to have any failures. If there were any mistakes that may have been made, I learned from them, became better at my position, and continued to succeed and thrive.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I’ve always wanted to travel more. So, this is an idea: Travel Boxes. Think of it as Airbnb experiences but delivered to your doorstep.
Concept: partner with local artisans, chefs, mixologists, musicians, and cultural experts to create curated kits that replicate a unique travel or cultural experience at home. For example:
• A Barcelona Tapas Night Box with Spanish wines, recipe cards, Spotify playlist, and a QR code for a live flamenco mini performance online.
• A Tokyo Street Food Kit with ramen ingredients, chopsticks, and a guided video from a Japanese chef.
• A Moroccan Spa Experience with argan oils, mint tea, incense, and a relaxation guide.
Revenue Model:
• Subscription service (monthly “destination” box).
• One-off themed boxes (great for gifts).
• Upsells through virtual add-ons like live cooking classes or music sessions.
Why it works:
• People love to travel but can’t always hop on a plane.
• It taps into growing markets: experiential gifts, food subscriptions, and cultural exploration.
• The business is scalable: start local, then expand by partnering with creators worldwide.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Our Integrated Case Management System (ICMS). It is all case filings within our circuit, whether, civil, criminal, family, juvenile, probate, etc. It allows us to look up individuals’ litigation history in our circuit, each case we have in our division, and our docket for the day. We input, sign, and file our orders and make notes in our files. It allows me to run my docket and stay updated on my cases.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I don’t have one favorite book. I have many I like for different reasons. I do have a top movie (A Few Good Men) because it was someone who believed in doing what was right and the underdog fought to make sure justice prevailed, which it ultimately did.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Superman. First, I went to see it with my daughter, who loves Marvel and DC comics. Also, it is the ultimate story of the hero who fights for truth, justice, and the American way.
Key learnings
- Always be prepared.
- Hard work pays off.
- Being prepared leads to being more effective and efficient.
- If you need to, stop and just breathe.