Lance E. Neff

Judge Neff was appointed to the First District Court of Appeal by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2026. Prior to his current appointment, Judge Neff served on the Second Judicial Circuit, to which he was appointed by Governor DeSantis in 2023. Before joining the bench, Judge Neff was the General Counsel for the Florida Department of Corrections, Florida's largest state agency, where he was responsible for providing a wide range of legal services affecting its 24,000 employees, 85,000 inmates, and 145,000 probationers. Before joining the Florida Department of Corrections, Judge Neff worked for many years as a trial attorney at the Florida Office of the Attorney General. At various times during his tenure at the Office of the Attorney General, he served in the Corrections Litigation Bureau, Complex Litigation, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Judge Neff also has been in private practice with the Jolly & Peterson law firm, an attorney-claims adjuster for the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund, and a staff attorney at the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Judge Neff is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Florida National Guard and serves as a judge advocate. LTC Neff is currently the Staff Judge Advocate for the Florida Army National Guard and legal advisor to the Assistant Adjutant General-Army. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Chief of Military Justice for the Florida Army National Guard where he was responsible for training and managing all government trial counsel. He has also been the Senior Defense Counsel in the Trial Defense Service and in charge of the 1565th and 1996th Trial Defense Teams. As Senior Defense Counsel, LTC Neff was the statewide public defender for the Florida Army National Guard and was responsible for providing defense services to its 10,000 soldiers. LTC Neff deployed with the 1-124th Infantry Regiment to the Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) for nine months in 2016-2017 in support of operations Freedom's Sentinel, Enduring Freedom, and Oaken Steel. He has also been on State Active Duty during several hurricanes. LTC Neff is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Florida Distinguished Service Medal, the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Former Wartime Service (“combat patch”), among other commendations.

Judge Neff is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Civil Trial and AV-preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Valdosta State University in 2001, his M.T.S. from Boston College (Weston Jesuit School of Theology) in 2003, and his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2006.