Raoul G. Cantero III
Raoul G. Cantero III is a Spanish-born American lawyer and a former justice of the Florida Supreme Court.
Life and career
Born in Madrid, Spain, Cantero graduated from Florida State University as an undergraduate and from Harvard Law School. He was also a Fulbright Scholar. Prior to his appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, he was a shareholder in the Miami firm of Adorno & Yoss.On July 10, 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Cantero to the Florida Supreme Court. Cantero had not previously served as a judge, although he had extensive experience as an appellate attorney. Cantero is regarded as the first Florida Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic descent, contrasting with Rosemary Barkett who was the first Justice to meet the Census criteria for being Hispanic due to her birth in Mexico to Syrian parents and the fact that her first language was Spanish.
During the George W. Bush presidency he was mentioned as a potential Supreme Court nominee.
On April 11, 2008, Cantero announced he would resign from the Florida Supreme Court, due to his family's desire to return to Miami, their hometown. His last day on the court was September 6, 2008. He had announced his intention to thereafter join leading international law firm White & Case LLP as a partner in the Miami office and head of the Miami Appellate Practice group.