Experience

Rating: 10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2018

Juvenile Law Leadership Award, Juvenile Law Center, Philadelphia

2013

Outstanding Alumni Award, Georgia State University

2008

Community Service Award, Clayton County Bar Association

2007

Outstanding Leadership Award, Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children

2006

Open Government Award, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

2006

Distinguished Alumni, Clayton State University

2005

Community Service Award, NAACP

2005

Howard K Ables Award, Georgia Juvenile Services AssociatioN

2003

Scales of Justice Award, National Association of Legal Professionals

2003

Romae T Powell Award, Juvenile Courts Association of Georgia

See All Honors See Less Honors

Work Experience

2021 - Present

Deputy Prosecutor, Office of the Prosecutor, Civil Division, Pascua Yaqui Tribe

2018 - 2021

Adjunct Professor, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School

2010 - 2021

Designated Superior Court Judge, Clayton Judicial Circuit, Georgia

1999 - 2021

Chief Judge, Juvenile Court, Clayton Judicial Circuit, Georgia

1994 - 1999

Partner, Boswell & Teske, LLP

See All Work Experiences See Less Work Experiences

Associations

2013 - Present

Council of State Governments

Henry Toll Fellow

1999 - Present

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Board of Directors

1992 - Present

State Bar of Georgia

Member

2005 - 2021

Coalition for Juvenile Justice

National Chair

1999 - 2021

Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges

President

1994 - 2021

Clayton County Bar Association

President

See All Associations See Less Associations

Education

1991

Georgia State University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1988

Georgia State University

MA - Masters

1983

Georgia State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

See All Education See Less Education

Speaking Engagements

2021

TedX Talk When Did Making Adults Mad Become a Crime

2020

The Resilence Breakthrough Podcast Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline

2019

School Justice Partnerships School-Justice Partnership Model: Increasing School Climate by Reducing Court Involvement

2017

School Justice Partnerships School Justice Partnerships: An Overview

2017

School Justice Partnership Webinar Developing a Memorandum of Understanding for Your School Justice Partnership

2017

Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy Reducing Disproportionate Minority Contact

2016

MST Conference Juvenile Justice Reform in Georgia: A Case Study of MST Services

2015

Senate Committee on the Judiciary Improving Accountability and Oversight of Juvenile Justice Grants

2015

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Reviewing the Juvenile Justice System and How it Serves At-Risk Youth

2014

LONG ISLAND REGIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT ON SCHOOL-JUSTICE PARTNERSHIPS: KEEPING KIDS IN SCHOOL AND OUT OF COURT Collaborative Model for School Arrest Diversion

2012

Senate Sub-Committee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline

2011

Town Hall Meeting Misplaced Priorities

2011

The Dignity in Schools Campaign Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and racial Policies

2010

House Committee on Education and Labor Reforming the Juvenile Justice System to Improve Children’s Lives and Public Safety

2009

Georgia Child Welfare Legal Academy Community Involvement for Children in Juvenile Court

See All Speaking Engagements See Less Speaking Engagements

Publications

2020

Georgia Law Review Georgia Juvenile Justice Reform: A Collective Decision-Making Approach to De-Politicize Crime and Punishment

2012

Family Court Review The Collaborative Role of Courts in Promoting Outcomes for Students: The Relationship Between School Arrests, Graduation Rates, and School Safety

2011

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing A Study of Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools: A Multi-Integrated Systems Approach to Improve Outcomes for Adolescents

2011

Juvenile and Family Justice Today When Did Making Adults Mad become A Crime? The Court’s Role in Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline

2010

Juvenile and Family Court Journal The Dichotomy of Judicial Leadership: Working with the Community to Improve Outcomes for Status Youth

2007

Georgia Bar Journal The Next Generation of Child Advocacy: Protecting the Best Interests of Children by Promoting a Child’s Right to Counsel in Abuse and Neglect Proceedings

2005

Juvenile and Family Justice Today Reducing Detention Using Collaborative Strategies: It Takes a Community!

See All Publications See Less Publications