A cross section of Broward County's judiciary and experienced litigation attorneys met in 1991 as an organizing committee to discuss the establishment of an American Inn of Court. Those initially invited to participate in the Inn’s organization were a geographically and ethnically diverse group of judges and trial lawyers. Using materials provided by the American Inns of Court Foundation for their guidance, the organizing committee began its work of forming committees and identifying prospective members and officers of the Inn. After giving thought to the goals of the Inn to promote excellence in advocacy skills, foster professionalism, civility, and ethical awareness among its members, the Inn quickly took its name from Judge Stephen R. Booher who had recently passed away. Judge Booher was universally respected for his judicial demeanor, civility, and his insistence upon professionalism in his courtroom. On May 21, 1992, after months of hard work by many, Stephen R. Booher American Inn of Court held its first official meeting and officially joined the movement one judge has called "a quiet crusade to save the legal profession”.

After recruiting its initial members, including law students from Nova Southeastern University, the Inn began its dinner meetings in the fall of 1992. Under the leadership of Judge Melanie May, its first President, the Inn immediately began to cultivate higher levels of excellence, professionalism, and ethical awareness among its trial and appellate lawyers, judges, and its law student members. Judge May was followed by Judge Barry Stone, Judge Patricia W. Cocalis, Ronald J. Rothschild, Judge Ilona M. Holmes, Judge Robert Lee, Judge Robert F. Diaz, Federal Magistrate Judge Barry S. Seltzer and Judge Sharon Zeller as President of the Inn.

Over the last 10 years hundreds of judges, attorneys, and law students in Broward County, Florida have had the unique opportunity to meet together as a group, to participate in Pupilage Teams, and to present demonstrations to the Inn concerning matters pertaining to ethics and professionalism in the practice of law.

Today our membership is composed of Masters of the Bench: judges, experienced lawyers; Barristers - lawyers with some experience; Associates - new lawyers; and Pupils - law students.

The first American Inn of Court was founded in 1980 in Utah. Within the next 3 years, additional American Inns were formed in Utah, Mississippi, Hawaii, New York and Washington, DC. In 1983, Chief Justice Burger created a committee to explore whether the American Inns of Court concept was of value to the administration of justice and whether there should be a national organization to assist the American Inns of Court. In 1985, the American Inns of Court Foundation was formally organized. It now has a website, www.innsofcourt.org, with links to the many Inns across the country. The Stephen R. Booher Inn of Court, the 151st Inn to be established by the Foundation, is in the process of establishing its own website and linking it to the Foundation site.