Candidate for State Court Judge
THE STORY: I am a native of Atlanta. I attended the University of Colorado and received bachelor’s degrees in English and Philosophy. After college, I returned to Atlanta and began working at the Georgia Law Center for Homelessness doing advocacy for homeless people as well as victims of domestic violence, people with housing issues, and working-class people with labor claims. I learned that I enjoyed public-interest law and have been lucky to dedicate most of my career to that effort.
I attended law school at Georgia State University, beginning in 1998. During law school, I worked at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation doing domestic violence work and continued to work at the Law Center in the summers. I went to work at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society upon graduation from law school. I worked there for three years before going into private practice. I spent about 10 years developing a practice that was 75-percent criminal law and about 25-percent juvenile law. For the last two years, it’s been about 50-50. I continue to do as much domestic violence work as I can. I have worked as a public defender in Doraville, Sandy Springs and Rowell, and served as the Cobb County Circuit Defender since 2008. Currently, I staff a courtroom in juvenile court where I represent children and parents, and where I function as the courtroom advocate for the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court, the Family Treatment Court, and the Child Court.
WHY I CHOSE TO LIVE IN COBB: Cobb County is a great place to live. It has great schools and it has a lot of great things to offer. The county’s services have always been excellent, and it was an ideal place to raise three children — all of whom attended and graduated from Cobb Public Schools.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? The absolute best thing about my job is when we all work as hard as we can and still manage to come out with a result that is better than what came into court. When we can help a family move forward, that is the most rewarding day at work for me.
LEISURE TIME: I enjoy listening to and sometimes playing music. And I love to play with my dog, Gertie.
BEST ADVICE: Pay close attention to whom you elect and why you elect them. Read about your candidates and about the new laws the legislature passes each year. It is our country and we need to take some responsibility for having the society we want.
WHAT’S NEXT? I plan to continue to serve the community by taking my skills and experience to the bench and becoming a judge in Cobb County.
399 Washington Avenue, Marietta, Georgia, 30060 • 404.983.2342 • halperinlaw@att.net
