Joy Walker, Member of The Kerr Law Firm, LLC

Joy Walker received her Bachelor’s of Science from Oakwood College and a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama.  Prior to her legal career, she served as a Public Health Associate for the Centers for Disease.  After receiving her Juris Doctorate from the University Of Dayton School Of Law she partnered a private practice concentrating on employment, criminal, personal injury and domestic relations law.  She is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb, and has completed judicial and executive training at both the National Judicial College and John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

 

In addition to her private practice, Ms. Walker became an adjunct professor with John Marshall School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia in 1994, where she has lectured in the areas of Administrative Law, Georgia Practice, Pre-Trial Advocacy, Appellate Advocacy and Medical Malpractice.

 

Joy Walker has served as a Senior Public Defender with the Office of the Public Defender for the City of Atlanta.  Judge Walker was appointed in 2001 as an Associate Judge in the Recorders Court of DeKalb County, Georgia.  She became Chief Judge of the Recorders Court in 2002. She served in that capacity until December 2009.

 

In 2004, Chief Judge Walker implemented a joint program with DeKalb County Public School System, “Community Responsibility Training Program”, to benefit young adult drivers ages 17-21.   Commencing in 2005, Judge Walker implemented a Public Safety Art and Essay Contest for DeKalb County middle school aged students.

 

In addition to having sat on the Recorders Court Bench, Judge Walker has sat by designation on the State and Superior Court Bench and presides regularly over the Educational Neglect Calendar at the State Court.  She has also sat pro tempore at DeKalb County Juvenile Court.

 

Currently, Ms. Walker is on the Faculty of Westwood College, in their School of Justice and the School of Health Care.  She also serves as general counsel for Global Business Development Inc. and serves as the division director of Global Health where she directs the staff and contracts of that division.

 

Joy is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations which include:  the State Bar of Georgia, the DeKalb Bar Association (executive board), DeKalb Lawyers Association (president), DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, the NAACP, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and the National Bar Association.