Wednesday's Woman: Marlene Duwell

Now that the current Gwinnett County probate judge is retiring after a 20-year career, a number of people are campaigning for the position. Marlene Duwell, the current chief clerk, is one of the top contenders. 

An Atlanta native, Duwell has been involved in law since 1993. She is currently the second-in-command at probate court and is responsible for the administrative side of things. 

Probate court, according to Duwell, is the court closest to the people. 

“Not only do I love working with the people,” Duwell said, “but I really want people to feel that when they come in the door they will be heard, and sometimes that's all they really want. 

Delivering justice in what people need everyday is the role of the court and something I take very seriously.” 

Before entering the world of law, Duwell attended Vanderbilt University and received a bachelor's degree in engineering. She spent about seven years writing technical computer manuals. However, working behind a computer screen was simply not fulfilling.

So, in her late twenties, she enrolled in law school at the University of Georgia. (She had her daughter, Rachel, while she was still in school.)

When she graduated in 1993, the economy was in a similar state as it is now. Finding any type of work was a challenge, so she responded to an advertisement for a volunteer position with the current Probate Court Judge Walter Clarke. 

At that time, the judge had just started in his position. 

“I answered the ad,” Duwell said, “and came to work for him for nothing and basically never left.” 

Eventually she became a contract employee, which led to a full-time position. She became the county's first law clerk for probate court and was appointed chief clerk in 1997. 

“I have a lot of experience in the probate area,” she said, “which is a pretty specialized area.” 

Probate Court, which was called the Court of the Ordinary decades ago, deals with wills, guardianships, and all other vital records for the county, including birth, death and marriage certificates. They pass judgment in cases relating to family law. 

“I see serving as less about passing judgment than about mediating between families so that they can still live with each other at the end of it,” she said. 

Duwell wants to see families come through difficult ordeals – like settling estates or establishing guardianship over an ailing family member – as unscathed as possible. She believes in keeping the family in tact. 

“The most important question I can ask before a hearing is 'have the parties talked?'” she explained. “I have found that far too often, the answer is 'no.'” 

Often, old “baggage” is hauled into the dispute, Duwell said. 

“I'm amazed at how often sitting in a conference room talking to one another shrinks the disagreement down to a manageable size,” she said. “If we conclude the hearing and there is some dialogue between the parties, then perhaps both justice and peace were attained. 

"For me, that moment is the summit of my profession.” 

Duwell genuinely enjoys public service, and, if elected, will be the first elected female Probate Court judge in the county. Elections for the position will be held on July 31.