FROM THE BENCH
Chief Judges of the Magistrate Courts of Metro-Atlanta
All of the Chief Judges of the Magistrate Courts in the metro-Atlanta area are women ( in alphabetical order ): Chief Judge Beryl Anderson ( DeKalb ), Chief Judge Phinia Aten ( Rockdale ), Chief Judge Kristina Hammer Blum ( Gwinnett ), Chief Judge Susan Camp ( Douglas ), Chief Judge Wanda Dallas ( Clayton ), Chief Judge Joyette Holmes ( Cobb ), and Chief Judge Cassandra Kirk ( Fulton ). We posed the following questions to them :
How did you do to position yourself to obtain this job ?
CJ Anderson : Although it may not have seemed so at the time , it appears that all my “ roads ” have led me to this job . In law school , I had an idea that I wanted to help people and worked for Atlanta Legal Aid Society ( ALAS ). During my six years there , my caseload included family violence cases , dispossessories , garnishments , and other proceedings over which I would eventually preside in Magistrate Court . I was appointed to serve as a part-time DeKalb Magistrate but later served as Deputy Chief of Staff for a member of the U . S . Congress . All these experiences were instrumental when I became a full-time Judge in 2005 and Chief in 2010 .
CJ Aten : I was not someone who dreamed of being a judge my whole life but after litigating in several jurisdictions for almost 14 years , I came to believe that I ’ d garnered a level of knowledge and insight into human relationships , trial skills , and legal scholarship that would make me “ judge quality .” At that point , I began to do further assessment and determined I could make a significant contribution to the judiciary and my community , by way of a judgeship , as a purveyor and educator of justice .
CJ Blum : I first started working with the Gwinnett County Magistrate Court when I was a Senior Assistant County Attorney assigned to represent the Court ; I served as both its advocate and advisor . When I left the Law Department to go back into private practice , I was hired as a part time Magistrate in 2005 . I became a full time Judge in 2009 , and was later sworn in as the Chief Magistrate in January 2013 . I learned everything I could about Magistrate Court . Along the way , I became passionate and protective of the Court ’ s mission to provide access to justice for those who often need it most . Hard work and passion really can pay off .
CJ Camp : I have been a Magistrate Judge since 1995 , and the Chief Magistrate since 1998 . Prior to that , I worked as an Assistant District Attorney before going into private practice . I was surprised in 1995 , when then-Chief Magistrate Harold Lane appointed me as a Magistrate Judge . When he retired , I was appointed to the Chief ’ s position by the Superior Court judges . I later won a contested election for the full term . I have always enjoyed my job as a judge . There is always something interesting going on in Magistrate Court every day !
CJ Dallas : For the majority of my 23 year legal career , I have worked in the court system . I was a prosecutor for a total of 10 years , and then I represented individuals as a criminal defense attorney for three years .
CJ Kirk : Prior to becoming Chief Magistrate , I served Fulton County as an Associate Juvenile Court Judge , where I spearheaded the establishment of Choices , Fulton County ’ s first Juvenile Drug Court , which was selected to participate in a nationwide Learning Collaborative . I was the first judge in Georgia to become a certified Child Welfare Law Specialist . I served the citizens of Georgia as an Assistant District Attorney in both the Alcovy and the Atlanta Judicial Circuits , as Director of Legal Services for the Georgia Merit System , as a Conflict Defense Attorney , as an Associate Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Department of Family and Children Services , and as a Supervising Child Attorney .
What projects you are working on within your court ?
CJ Anderson : My ongoing goal has always been to increase access to the DeKalb Magistrate Court . Last year , we
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