Judge Glenda A. Hatchett knows the difference between achieving success and making a difference. A visionary who knows how to get results, she is renowned in the legal community for her groundbreaking courtroom style.

She once served as Chief Presiding Judge of the Fulton County, Georgia Juvenile Court and in that role, became Georgia’s first African-American Chief Presiding Judge of a state court and the department head of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. The compassionate mother of two quickly fell in love with her judicial role, and worked tirelessly during her eight-year tenure to make a difference in the lives of young people.

Best known for her revolutionary “interventions,” Judge Hatchett is widely respected for her work with today's youth, which not only sets her apart from other judges, but also establishes her as a leader in the justice system nationwide. She worked in conjunction with community organizations and businesses including the Boys and Girls Clubs and Urban League to design a program where troubled youth would be exposed to successful executives and community leaders who would inspire them to make changes in their lives. Sentences often included sending troubled youth to one of the participating organizations in an effort to teach them how to take positive steps toward their futures.

The innovative judge soon garnered national attention for her “creative sentencing,” which can still be seen today on her popular syndicated television program, “Judge Hatchett”, which is now in its 8th season (Sony Pictures Television). She is the author of the national bestseller, “Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say” (HarperCollins) based on her extensive professional experiences as a jurist and her own personal experience as a mother. Among her numerous honors are the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award and Emory University's School of Law Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award.

The Judge is a national spokesperson for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a non-profit volunteer organization that trains volunteers to represent abused and neglected children and help them navigate the court system. She says:

“It takes all of us, everyday people, to stand up and commit to making a meaningful difference in the lives of abused and neglected children. And it starts very simply with one volunteer at a time. By becoming a CASA or guardian ad litem volunteer, you become a hero to a child who needs you most.”