Judge Teri Dees holds a photo of her father, Bill Kaklis, and Judge Jim Parker, while standing in front of Judge Gallen's old robe. Gallen, Parker and Kaklis, all men whom Dees grew up admiring, passed away in early 2025. The robe and other items in her chambers connect Judge Dees to her story, her family and her profession. Images provided by Judge Dees
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Oct
Robe comes full circle
From left: Chief Judge Charles Williams, Senior Judge Tom Gallen and Judge Teri Dees, circa 2017.
Judge Dees has a new robe to wear in court. Technically, it’s an old robe but it’s new to her. The robe belonged to the late Judge Tom Gallen, who was a friend and law partner of Judge Dees’ father, Bill Kaklis, both of whom passed away earlier this year.
After Bill Kaklis graduated law school in the late ’60s he joined Tom Gallen’s firm. Later Kaklis became a partner of that same firm. From elementary school through high school Judge Dees said she grew up in a law office, “It’s all I knew,” she said.
Teri Kaklis Dees followed in the footsteps of her father and became a lawyer. In September 2015, she was sworn in as a circuit judge. She is pictured with her mentor, (then) Chief Judge Charles Williams and Judge Gallen, who after retirement had returned as a senior judge presiding over foreclosure cases.
Unfortunately, in early 2025, Judge Dees lost three very important people. Tom Gallen passed away in February. In May, Judge Jim Parker, a law-school friend of her father, passed away. Parker was so close to the Kaklis family that Judge Dees referred to James Parker as “Uncle Parker”. Judge Dees’ father Bill passed away in June.
Which leads us back to the robe. How did Judge Dees end up with Judge Gallen’s old robe?
Former law partners Tom Gallen, Joe Venable, Bill Kaklis and Ron Witt gathered to celebrate the retirement of Bill Kaklis.
The Gallen family contacted Court Administration to see what could be done with Judge Gallen’s old robes. The family decided to donate the robes to the circuit, after learning that court leaders keep extra robes in case a visiting judge needs one.
Judge Dees happened to see the garments, and once she learned to whom the robes belonged, she immediately knew she wanted one as a memento of one of the judges that she grew up admiring. The robe connects her to her story, her family and her profession. “Wearing the robe feels like a hug,” Judge Dees said. And the Gallen family is happy the robes are staying in the courthouse and even more delighted that Judge Dees has adopted one of the garments as her own.
In front of an audience of “Mama Judges,” Judge Dees administers the oath of attorney to Tayler Uselton after she passed the Bar exam.
Since claiming the old robe toward the end of summer, Judge Dees has sworn in four new attorneys to The Florida Bar, one of whom is Tayler Uselton, who had lost her mom to cancer while she was in law school. Judge Dees was friends with Tayler’s mother, and because of that, the judge said she wanted to lift Uselton up with as much positivity and “mom energy” as she could. In Judge Gallen’s robe and in the presence of a gaggle of ‘Mama Judges,’ — “That is, judges that also happen to be mothers,” Judge Dees said — Judge Dees administered the oath of attorney and executed the certificate with her dad’s Mont Blanc pen.
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