Attorney Phinia Aten, trial attorney and President of the NewRock Legal Society, announced her bid for Chief Judge of Rockdale County Magistrate Court.

Aten, president of the newly formed NewRock Legal Society, said in a released statement that she "pledged to uphold the tenets of Magistrate Court, the gateway to our justice system, by serving as the fair, competent and committed chief judge the court not only deserves, but requires."

“For the last 13 years, I have spent thousands of hours as a trial attorney in courtrooms across Georgia fighting for justice. I am confident that my legal career demonstrates that I am strongly and uniquely qualified to fulfill the important responsibilities of Chief Judge of Rockdale County Magistrate Court and make all of Rockdale proud,” Aten said.

Aten also listed giving fair and equal treatment in the courts, being time efficient and cost effective, being technologically up-to-date, and valuing community imput as priorities she would have if she were elected Magistrate Court Judge.

Since 1998, Aten has represented clients primarily in the areas of criminal defense, family, personal injury and immigration law. 

In addition to founding the NewRock Legal Society, she chaired the Continuing Legal Education at Sea Program for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys for almost a decade; was a mentor of the Sister2Sister Mentoring Project; and serves as Parliamentarian of the Rockdale-Newton Chapter of the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women.

She is or has been a member of the American Bar Association, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, NewRock Legal Society Gate City Bar Association, Rockdale County Bar Association, Lawyers Club of Atlanta, Clayton County Bar Association.

Aten earned her and law degree and a certificate of sports law from Tulane University in New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Wayne State University. She served as judicial extern to the Honorable Charles Jones of the Louisiana Court of Appeals during law school.

For more information, visit www.atenforjudge.com