About Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins

Danielle Cohen Higgins is a mother of two young children, wife, civil trial attorney of nineteen years, former law firm owner of fifteen years, current partner and business unit leader at a large law firm and elected official serving proudly as a Miami Dade County Commissioner. As a first-generation American, she is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants who came to the United States in search of better opportunities and the American Dream. From extremely humble beginnings, she was born at the County public hospital, attended all Miami Dade County Public Schools, and spent the early part of her life in what is now public housing. She graduated from high school in the top 2% of her class, earning an academic scholarship to the University of Florida, where she became a University Scholar. She is the first in her family to attend college.

In 2003, Danielle graduated with Honors from the University of Florida. In 2006, she earned her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University School of Law and was sworn into the practice of law at only 24 years of age. Right out of law school, she joined the prestigious international law firm of Greenberg Traurig as an Associate. In 2009, she opened her own civil litigation law firm, Cohen Law, with the mission of providing excellent yet cost-efficient legal services to businesses and individuals. A mission she carried out and accomplished for more than fifteen years. Recently, her law firm was acquired by a larger law firm where she now works as a Partner and Business Unit Leader in her area of specialization, Complex Commercial Business Litigation.

In 2019, pregnant with her second child, Danielle announced her candidacy for County Commissioner, to serve the community where she was born and raised, South Miami Dade. In 2020, after a year and a half of campaigning, a global health pandemic, and the birth of her second child, Danielle was appointed by her colleagues as the Commissioner for District 8. In 2022, she was elected overwhelmingly by the residents of her community to continue in that role- a role she takes very seriously and a role she has the privilege of continuing to serve in today.

Danielle never forgot her humble beginnings and where she came from, which is why she is so dedicated to giving back to her community. Prior to becoming a Miami Dade County Commissioner, she sat on the Board of Directors for the South Florida American Heart Association, served as a Young Ambassador to the Miami Children’s Health Foundation, worked as a mentor and board member with Take Stock in Children and was elected to sit on the largest statewide board of trial attorneys, the Florida Justice Association.