From the President: In Memory of Judge Workman
by Matthew McCoyd
As you all probably know by now, Judge Anne Workman passed away on September 2. She was a leader of our bar, a trailblazer in our profession, and will be greatly missed. Among her numerous accomplishments are a number of firsts: first woman prosecutor in DeKalb County; first woman judge in DeKalb County; one of the first two women elected to the Bench in DeKalb County; and first woman president of the council of State Court Judges.
In honor of Judge Workman, we are republishing the text of her speech at the 2008 Bench and Bar Dinner:
A Curmudgeon’s View from the Last Century Forward
by Chief Judge Anne Workman, DeKalb Superior Court
(Keynote speaker for the DeKalb Bar Association Bench and Bar Dinner, March 2008)
When I was approached by Noah [Pines] and Mike [Hawkins] to speak tonight, I was told in no uncertain terms that this speaking opportunity was only being offered under the strict condition that the speech not last more than 20 minutes. I tell you this to allay any fears or flashbacks that you may harbor about being kept here into the night. I was somewhat surprised to be asked to speak, as a reason to select me did not immediately come to mind and the topic was to be how the bar in DeKalb has evolved in the 35 years that I have been a member.