On Wednesday, Judge Elisabeth French was elected to be the presiding judge for Alabama’s 10th judicial circuit by her fellow judges on the court.

She will be the first woman to hold that position since the court was created in 1821, and she will be the first black woman to serve as Presiding Judge of any Alabama circuit court.

“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Jefferson County as a Judge since 2010,” French told the Alabama State Bar. “I am looking forward to now taking on such an important role with the support of my fellow judges.”

French will assume the responsibilities of the role on March 1, 2020, following the retirement of current Presiding Judge Joseph Boohaker on February 29, 2020.

By the number of judges and cases, the 10th circuit, which covers Jefferson County, is the largest of Alabama’s 40 circuit courts.

The Presiding Judge of a circuit court is tasked with overseeing all of a court’s employees and is meant to maintain an orderly and expeditious process through which justice can be administered.

French earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Montevallo and her law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.