Elisabeth French has served as a Jefferson County Circuit Judge since 2010, and in 2020, she became the first female presiding judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit, a leadership role she continues to play.
For the past two years, she has also hosted interns from Birmingham Promise.
“I want to support the city’s programs that are designed to influence our next generation of leaders and responsible citizens,” Judge French said.
She believes high school students have much to gain from spending time in a professional setting, including a judicial office like hers.
“I want the interns to see the inner workings of leadership,” Judge French said. “I want them to have insight into what day to day life looks like after high school, college and graduate studies, from daily decision making and establishing professional relationships to accountability.”
Circuit courts in Alabama have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, and Judge French’s 10th Judicial Circuit is the largest in the state. As Presiding Judge, she supervises the circuit and district courts in Jefferson County, but she also presides over trials and has resolved thousands of cases.
Despite her professional expertise, Judge French believes she has something to learn from interns as well. “My office benefits from having a fresh perspective from a new generation of leaders,” she said.
