At 100, Jay Simons isn't slowing down: 'I've been practicing since 1950, and I'll keep practicing until I get it right'.

Westin attorney J. Jay Simons is much more likely to spend his 100th year in a Zoom mediation than a porch swing.

"I love what I do, and I just can't see myself sitting around in a rocking chair doing nothing," he said.

The Boston native and former World War II aircraft mechanic crossed the century mark December 19 as an active Florida Bar member, a status he has proudly maintained since the Truman Administration.

Ask the popular, court-appointed mediator about retirement, and he points to his temple.

"As long as this thing up here continues to function, I'm going to function," he says.

Family and friends believe Simons could be the oldest practicing attorney in Florida, or at least the 17th Judicial Circuit, but that's difficult to confirm. Nobody doubts that Simons is one of the most experienced, and one of the funniest.

"I've been practicing since 1950, and I'll keep practicing until I get it right," he quips.

Simons has no problem "getting it right," assures Plantation lawyer John Stevens of Stevens & Goldwyn.

"He's an amazing individual, quite frankly," he said.

Stevens, a 1998 Nova Southeastern Law graduate, was a young associate in his first law firm when Simons generously took him under his wing.

"He was always there, he would speak to us younger attorneys, help us with our cases," Stevens says. "That was Jay, he always had a moment to talk to younger attorneys, he always had advice for anyone who asked."

With his extensive knowledge of the law, and talent for relating to nonlawyers, Simons is an especially good fit for certain proceedings, Stevens said.

Stevens likes to use him for condominium and homeowner pre-suit mediations, where pro se defendants are offered an opportunity to mediate before a lawsuit is filed.

"Jay is one of the mediators I suggest for that because he deals very well with residents," Stevens says. "He likes to tell jokes. He has lots of one-liners. He's very personable. He really can explain it to them in a manner that they can understand."

Simons has had to make some concessions to his age in recent years. He no longer drives, but performs in-person mediations when required. He prefers Zoom, Stevens says.

"He hasn't slowed down mentally one bit. He knows what he's talking about," Stevens says.

Simons has an extensive wealth of experience to draw upon.

America was an emerging power the year Simons was born. The U.S. Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Langley, and President Warren G...