Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston received the J. Ben Watkins Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession during the annual Stetson Law Review Banquet on Nov. 16 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport.

Chief Justice Polston was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in October 2008. He previously served with the First District Court of Appeal for more than seven years.

Polston worked in private practice in Tallahassee from 1987 to 2000 after earning his law degree from Florida State University in 1986 with high honors. Before beginning his legal career, Polston worked in Tampa as a certified public accountant from 1977 to 1984 with the international accounting firm, Deloitte Haskins & Sells. Born in 1955 and raised in the Panhandle town of Graceville, Polston earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in 1977, summa cum laude.

The annual award is presented in honor of J. Ben Watkins, who helped found the Stetson Law Review and is an honorary member of the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers.