Honorable Kimberly M. Esmond Adams

The Honorable Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams is serving her third term on the Superior Court of Fulton County.  She was re-elected to her second and third four-year terms without opposition.  Prior to her election, Judge Adams served the citizens of Fulton County as a Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Office of the Fulton County District Attorney where her exceptional commitment to victims and community safety earned her the coveted distinction of Special Unit Trial Attorney of the Year.  Judge Adams began her public service career after practicing as an employment attorney with a national labor and employment boutique.

A past president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), Judge Adams is a well-respected and highly-regarded bar leader and community servant.  She has served in a number of leadership capacities, both professionally and in her community, including the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Technical College Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Restorative Justice Board of the Atlanta Municipal Court, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, and the National Bar Association Judicial Council.  She recently concluded terms on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Bar Association Judicial Section, the Atlanta Bar Association Lawyer Referral Information Service and the Foundation of Wesley Woods.  Judge Adams also is the Immediate Past Chair of the National Advisory Board for Foreverfamily, a non-profit organization committed to mitigating the collateral effects on children of incarcerated parents.  A Leadership Atlanta trustee, Judge Adams is a 30-year member and international leader of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and she has been an active member of Cascade United Methodist Church in Southwest Atlanta for the same length of time.  She has held numerous leadership positions and currently serves in the Music Ministry.  Additionally, Judge Adams is a member and officer of the Camellia Rose Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Recognized both for her commitment to her profession and the community, Judge Adams has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, most notably, Howard University Charter Day Award in the Field of Law (2013); Who's Who in Law and Business by the Atlanta Business Chronicle (2006); Superwoman by Atlanta Tribune Magazine (2011); Woman of the Year - "Ordinary Woman With Extraordinary Talents" by Women Looking Ahead News Magazine (2008), Women Looking Ahead Woman of the Year Honoree – One of Georgia’s Most Influential Judges (2013).  Judge Adams also is a recipient of the Pinnacle Leadership Award from the East Point/College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (2012), The Torch Award from the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (2017) and she was named to the Atlanta Business League’s 2012, 2013 and 2018 Lists of Atlanta’s Top 100 Women of Influence.  In 2012, Judge Adams received the Spirit of GABWA Award – the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ highest award.  She also was an honored recipient of the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service in 2013 and the prestigious Community Service Award from the Atlanta Bar Association in 2015.  Most recently, Judge Adams was named an Unsung Heroine and received the Pioneer Award from the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (2017) and was named a Woman of Excellence in the field of Community Engagement by the MECCA Chapter (2018) and a National HBCU Pre-Law Hall of Fame Honoree (2018).  Judge Adams also has been recognized by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the faith community for her commitment, dedication and service.

A sought-after leader in the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia, Judge Adams is an alumna of both Leadership Georgia and Leadership Atlanta where she also serves on the Board of Trustees.  In addition, Judge Adams is committed to the development of young people and frequently serves as a mentor, speaker, moderator and panelist on topics ranging from the law and professionalism to education and the family.  She was invited to the White House to participate in a workshop on parental incarceration in 2012.

Judge Adams earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and her Juris Doctor Degree from the Notre Dame Law School.  She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Michael, and they are the proud parents of an adult son, Michael.