Judge Hodges has been Chair of the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation since 2000, and a District Court Judge in the Middle District of Florida since 1971; he served as Chief Judge from 1982-1989. Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Judge Hodges was a practicing lawyer and member of the firm of Macfarlane, Ferguson, Allison & Kelly in Tampa, Florida (from 1958-1971), and served as an Adjunct Professor on Business Law at the University of South Florida form 1961-1966. In addition to his many professional affiliations and chairmanships, Judge Hodges received the Award as Outstanding Jurist of the Year (in 1981), the William M. Hoevler Judicial Professionalism Award (in 2003) from the Florida Bar, and the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award (in 2003) from the American Judicature Society.