Judge Hatchett to address College of Law graduates

Judge Glenda Hatchett, champion of youth mentoring and star of the nationally-syndicated daytime television program, “Judge Hatchett,” will address Loyola University College of Law graduates on Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m., at the Morial Convention Center auditorium.

“Judge Hatchett” offers a diverse mix of family and juvenile court and unusual small claims cases and is known for its unique and unpredictable intervention segments. These segments, filmed all across the country, use creative means to help litigants understand the implications of their actions.

Judge Glenda Hatchett

Hatchett is a graduate of Emory University School of Law. Following law school, Hatchett accepted a position with Delta Airlines. There, she served as both senior attorney, litigating cases in federal courts throughout the country, and manager of public relations, supervising global crisis management and media relations for all of Europe, Asia and the United States. She was the company’s highest-ranking African-American woman.

Hatchett left Delta to accept an appointment as 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.

Hatchett is the author of the national bestseller, “Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say,” based on her extensive professional experiences as a jurist and her own personal experience as a mother of two boys. She serves as the national spokesperson for Court Appointed Special Advocates, a nonprofit volunteer organization that trains volunteers to represent abused and neglected children and help them navigate the court system. Hatchett also serves on the board of advisers for PlayPumps International, an organization dedicated to bringing clean water to needy communities in Africa. In 1990, she helped found the Truancy Intervention Project, which enlists the help of legal volunteers to provide early, positive intervention with children reported as truants.

Hatchett did her undergraduate work at Mount Holyoke College, which presented her with an honorary degree and named her a distinguished alumna. She was also named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by Emory University School of Law and was presented with the highest award given to university alumni, the Emory Medal, for her unwavering commitment to children’s issues. Hatchett received the NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Award, was named one of the 100 Best & Brightest Women in Corporate America by Ebony Magazine and received the Prism Award in 2003 for Best Unscripted Non-Fiction Series or Special for Television for her show’s “Carrie’s Out of Rehab” episode, a poignant look at addiction and recovery.

Hatchett is a board member of the Atlanta Falcons football organization and also serves on the Boys and Girls Clubs of America National Board of Governors. Hatchett resides in Atlanta, Ga., with her two sons.

For more information on the College of Law commencement, contact James Shields in the Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5888.

Loyola press release - March 15, 2010