Margaret Gettle Washburn

Lawyer, Writer, Judge, Mom

Margaret Gettle Washburn spends her days accomplishing the goals set forth by clients and many of her nights doing the same. She is the daughter of Donald W. Gettle, an Atlanta lawyer who practiced from 1962 to 1996. He also served as Assistant Dean of Atlanta schools until 1985. Ms. Washburn credits her work ethic to her mother, Celia Boswell, who worked for the State of Georgia for 32 years.

Concentrating on personal injury, workers’ compensation, family law and criminal litigation, Ms. Washburn knows it’s these four areas that touch people’s lives daily. The toughest cases she undertakes are those involving divorce and the custody of minor children; however, she feels honored when entrusted with the task of obtaining what is in the best interest of a client’s family and children. Concentrating on personal injury, workers’ compensation, family law and criminal litigation, Ms.Washburn knows it’s these four areas that touch people’s lives daily.

In addition to her daily practice, Ms. Washburn serves as a municipal court judge in several cities including Duluth, Sugar Hill, and Buford. She has the opportunity to work with teenage drivers and imposes defensive driving and community service where necessary. Ms. Washburn has served as President of the Georgia Council for Municipal Court ]udges and President of the Gwinnett County Bar Association. She was honored by the League of Women Voters of Gwinnett County in 1995 as one of Gwinnett’s Exceptional Women Leaders. She was also recently honored by the city of Duluth for her service as Chief ]udge of that court for the past 2O years. Margaret Washburn is the editor for the Gwinnett County Bar Association, Margaret Gettle Washburn, P.C. and the News Bulletin for the Municipal Court ]udges of Georgia.

Ms. Washburn’s eldest child is a freshman at Vanderbilt University and her “baby” is a senior at Peachtree Ridge where he is on the Varsity football team. Ms. Washburn plans to continue in private practice until her children are out of college. At that future point, she may pursue a different area of the law, possibly a full-time judicial position. But for now, she takes one day at a time.