However, your entire experience depends on which superior court judge you work for. As a Staff Attorney, you are serving at the behest of your judge. There are not opportunities to work with other judges or in other courtrooms. So if you do not like your judge’s demeanor, or the way he/she runs their courtroom or manages their docket, your only realistic choice is to leave. There are not opportunities to simply shift to another judge absent that judge’s Staff Attorney leaving and that judge’s desire to combat the politics of taking their colleagues’ staff attorney. Most judges choose to avoid creating awkwardness with another judge, so he/she will typically hire a new Staff Attorney instead of hiring a Staff Attorney who is already working for a colleague.
Also, if you don’t work well or get along with your judge, it completely ruins your experience as a Staff Attorney because you only work for that judge. Furthermore, each judge has the discretion to run their chambers, courtroom and docket how they see fit. Therefore, even if you were to complain to HR, it’s not much they can or will do. Because each judge has this autonomy, even if there were issues, HR is going to be more inclined to attempt to resolve these issues in favor of the judge - who they can’t fire (Fulton Superior Court Judges are elected or appointed for a fixed term & they only answer to the Judicial Qualifying Commission- not HR). As a result, they won’t be interested in helping you find other employment within Fulton County’s Superior Court. Plus, if your issues with your judge rise to the level of HR intervention, HR won’t want to risk moving you to another position where you might face an uphill battle in overcoming the perception that you are a “bad apple”. Lastly, some of the judges & some of the staff attorneys are very close, so your reputation can easily preclude you from anyone wanting to work with you - even if your Judge caused conflict with you.
