Nora Polk

Division 8
DeKalb County Courthouse
Room 6210

Phone: 404.371.2501

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Steps for Pro Se Divorce Cases

Judge Nora Polk, a native Texan, received her B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. During her law school career, she attended the University of Cape Town in South Africa to study comparative justice.

She worked for Atlanta Legal Aid Society for eight years before partnering with Adrienne Ashby in 2007. Their firm, Ashby & Polk, LLC, specialized in wills, trusts, estate planning, powers of attorney, guardianship, probate, elder law, divorce, custody, legitimation, and child support.

In addition, Judge Polk served as a Guardian Ad Litem in domestic relations cases, an Ombudsman in bankruptcy cases involving patient care, and as a Hearing Officer in public housing informal review hearings. She is also a trained mediator.

Judge Polk joined the DeKalb County Magistrate Court as a part-time Associate Magistrate Judge in 2010. In 2016, she was appointed as a Supervising Magistrate Judge. In this role, Judge Polk presided over civil and criminal matters, taught Police Academy, supervised the Civil Division of Magistrate Court, addressed administrative concerns, and coordinated community outreach and education.

Judge Polk was appointed to the Superior Court of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit by Governor Brian Kemp in 2022.

Judge Polk is an ardent supporter of schools in the community. She has served on the PTA at all school levels and worked with the DeKalb County School System Parental Engagement programs. She regularly speaks to elementary, middle, and high school students about legal issues and evaluates high school mock trial competitions. She has been a guest lecturer at Atlanta Technical College, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Georgia State University, John Marshall Law School, and an adjunct instructor in the Emory Law School Trial Techniques Program.

Judge Polk is a member of the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and an associate member of the Stone Mountain Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She has held various roles in both organizations.

She is a member of the 2006 Founding Class of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division’s Leadership Academy, the 2013 Leadership DeKalb Class, and the 2016 Leadership Georgia Class. She is as a 2022 Leadership Georgia Program Chair and Fanning Fellow.

Judge Polk is the recipient of the 2012 GABWA Founder’s Award for Commitment to the Family, the 2012 Atlanta Legal Aid Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award, the 2013 Outstanding Service Award for Political Awareness and Involvement from the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the 2015 Justice Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia, and the 2015-2016 Pota E. Coston Trailblazer Award.

In 2019, Judge Polk was selected as a Judicial Engagement Network (JEN) Fellow and serves as an advisor to new Fellows. She is a judicial training facilitator with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and sits on several committees.

Judge Polk is married and has two sons.

Staff

Jay Lumpkin Judicial Assistant
Civil Case Manager
404.371.2501 jllumpkin@dekalbcountyga.gov
Maranthia Thomas Criminal Litigation Manager 404.371.2702 mmthomas1@dekalbcountyga.gov
Ember Colon Civil Litigation Manager 404.371.2757 ecolon@dekalbcountyga.gov
Sharee Wyse Law Clerk sdwyse@dekalbcountyga.gov