Chief Judge Margaret Gettle Washburn

Margaret Gettle Washburn practices law in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  She has been in the private practice of law since 1983, after serving as a staff attorney in the State Court of Fulton County and as an assistant solicitor in the State Court of DeKalb County.  She currently serves as the Chief Judge, City of Sugar Hill and as an Associate Judge, City of Duluth.  Judge Washburn elected as Dist. Rep for Dist. 9 for the Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges.  She was reappointed as the Chair for the Newsletter Committee.  She also serves on the Awards and Recognition Committee for the Council.  Ms. Washburn attended Oglethorpe University, B.A. cum laude, and graduated Emory University School of Law with a  J.D. in 1979.

Practicing law and serving as a Municipal Court Judge has provided Ms. Washburn with the opportunity to get to know our private and public leaders within our community and to help our students in our community.  Law Day in May of each year is a great way to serve the students.   Ms. Washburn has served as the President of the Georgia Council for Municipal Court Judges from 1998-1999 and has served as the CMCJ News Bulletin editor for over 10 years.  She has authored articles for the News Bulletin, written research and educational papers and essays for the Municipal Judges Training Council.  She has taught several seminars for Institute of Continuing Judicial Education and served on the Training Council.  Ms. Washburn has also authored numerous articles over the past 20 years, including:  "TPOs:  A Potential Way to Cure that "Alienation" of Affection by Your Citizen Spouse," which was published in The Family Law Review, A Publication of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia, Winter, 2010.  I also published "For Better or Worse, Family Case Law Review," in the Gwinnett County Bar Association Newsletter, November, 2010.

Ms. Washburn was a speaker for the Atlanta Bar Association 17th Annual Middle Income Divorce Seminar on November 17, 2010 and authored "Some Call it Love; Others Call it Stalking:  Fun Facts about TPOs."

Ms. Washburn currently serves as the Contributing Editor of the Gwinnett County Bar Association Newsletter.  She has received 10 State Bar of Georgia Awards for Best Newsletter over the past 13 years on behalf of the GCBA, in addition to the Law Day Award and Meritorious Service Award. She also received recognition on behalf of the Gwinnett County Bar Association from the American Bar Association Award for Law Day.

Ms. Washburn is the recipient of the Georgia District of Kiwanis Service Award; the Kiwanis Ga. Dist. Governor's Distinguished Lt. Governor Award (Div. 19) and the recipient of the 2006-2007 Outstanding Division Award for the Ga. Dist. of Kiwanis International.

In her “spare time,”  she enjoys traveling with her husband, belongs to several teams, is an avid dog lover and Dawg lover, UGA.  Her oldest son is a 3L at UGA School of Law and her youngest son is a recent graduate of UGA and is now also attending law school.

During the past 24 months, Ms. Washburn has spoken about our courts and the judicial system to several groups of students such as the State Bar of Georgia High School Mock Trial teams during the Gwinnett Regional and then the State finals.  She has served as either a coach, coordinator or as a Judge in the State Mock Trial program for 20 years.  Ms. Washburn has enjoyed the opportunity to address several community service clubs, such as Kiwanis Clubs and at Career Day at a local high schools during Law Day Week in May about our courts and justice system.  She always encourages students people to go into the legal profession as it is one of the most challenging and rewarding of careers. 

Kathryn Schrader

For over twenty years, Kathryn M. Schrader has practiced law in metro Atlanta representing clients in government, business and the private sector. As a seasoned litigator, she actively encourages clients to resolve their matters through uniquely established and proven resolution techniques she has developed over the course of her career. As a founding partner of Resolution Matters, Kathy is certified as a mediator and arbitrator by the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.  Kathy has extensive experience in assisting clients in resolving conflicts amicably without resorting to legal action. In addition to establishing a successful law firm and mediation practice, Kathy also serves as a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Duluth and the City of Sugar Hill.  Kathy is also a Past President of the Gwinnett County Bar Association.

Kathy was recently appointed to the Federal Advisory Board on Juvenile Justice, which is an advisory board to the President and Congress on issues surrounding juvenile justice and children in crisis.  Kathy is the founder and director of Marriage Matters, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of marriages and the family. Kathy has proven her dedication to her community and was recently appointed as a member of the board of directors for Governor Sonny Perdue’s newly established Governor’s Office of Children and Family which serves children and families across Georgia.  Kathy served on the former Children & Youth Coordinating Council which also assisted the children and youth of Georgia in crisis, in particular children subject to the juvenile justice programs. She serves on the advisory board of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett, and the fundraising committee of the United Way Women’s Legacy. Kathy was recently honored as a member of the 2008 Class of Women Out Front by Georgia Tech for her service to women and children.

Kathy is actively involved in her church, Cross Pointe, The Church at Gwinnett Center, as a youth leader and mentor for the young women and small group leader for marriage enrichment. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and her law degree from Mercer University. She and her husband, Richard, have been married for over twenty years and live in Duluth, Georgia with their three children.

Judge Charles Lewis Barrett, III

Education:
Attended Georgia State College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) 1967 & Emory University School of Law with a Doctor of Law (J. D.) in 1971.

Public Service:

•Chief Judge, Municipal Court of the City of Duluth (2006 to Present);
•Chief Judge, Municipal Court of the City of Lilburn, Georgia (2001 to present);
•Presiding Judge, Municipal Court of the City of Duluth, Georgia (2001-2005);
•President, Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia (2003-2004);
•Vice President, Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia (2001-2002);
•Chair, Legislative Committee of Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia;
•Councilmember, City of Duluth, Georgia (1986-1991);
•Mayor pro tem, City of Duluth (1989-1991);
•Chair, City of Duluth Planning Commission (1986);
•Member, American Arbitration Association, National Panel of Neutrals (1996 to 2006);
•Mediator and Arbitrator, Gwinnett County Office of Dispute Resolution (1996 to 2006);
•DeKalb County Hearing Officer (1996 to 2006);