TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — In a unanimous decision, the Florida Supreme Court has elected John D. Couriel as the state’s next chief justice.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for their trust and am indebted to the previous chief justices with whom I’ve served,” said Justice Couriel. “I will do my best to serve the people of Florida as they so ably have.”

He will officially take office on July 1 and serve a two-year term.

Justice Couriel, 48, was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court in 2020 by Governor Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis took to X on Thursday morning to congratulate Justice Couriel.

The Florida Supreme Court said that before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Couriel was a partner at Kobre & Kim LLP, specializing in cross-border litigation. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney, where he handled important cases involving money laundering, healthcare fraud, and human trafficking.

Couriel began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge John D. Bates in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

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A Miami native, Justice Couriel is married to Dr. Rebecca L. Toonkel, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The couple has two children. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. His family emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s.

He will take over from Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, who will continue to serve on the court following the end of his second term on June 30.