Bay County’s newest Circuit Court judge, Jessie Scott Wood, is excited to meet people, solve problems
BAY Metropolis, MI — Donning the austere black robes for the initial time and with a gavel in her hand, legal professional Jessie Scott Wood is now formally Bay County’s latest Circuit Court docket judge.
Wood on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 29, appeared in the Bay County Fee Chambers to get her oath of business. The oath was administered by her outgoing predecessor, Choose Harry P. Gill, as a single of his last acts ahead of ending his tenure Thursday evening.
“It’s looking to me like you’re after my job,” Gill joked. “And I’m glad.”
The oath accomplished, Wood’s brother and regulation associate Daniel MacPhail Wooden draped the robes about Wood’s shoulders. Gill then presented Wood with a wooden gavel, describing it as a symbol of her office.
Wood was elected to the place in November, having run unopposed.
“I appreciate so much the supportive and lovely faces I see in this article today,” Wooden explained to her colleagues and loved types collected for the occasion. “I definitely am gracious. I am crammed with gratitude. I’m concerned, but I’m also actually searching ahead to the problem of currently being a choose. I’m just stuffed with a large amount of pleasure right now and I want you all to know that.”
She thanked her campaign committee, spouse and children, and partner, who was unable to show up at due to an health issues. Also in attendance in their robes ended up Bay County Probate Judge Jan A. Miner and U.S. District Justice of the peace Decide Patricia T. Morris, longtime mates of Wooden.
“We’re definitely glad for you,” Miner instructed Wood.
“It’s these a joyful working day, Jessie,” additional Morris. “I hope you discover it is the most effective job ever.”
Gill then lauded his successor’s authorized acumen and character.
“You have the temperament, the disposition, the talent, the knowledge to use your discretion in a way that will only be useful,” he stated. “I’m delighted that you’re next me in this position.”
Wood has worked as an attorney in Bay County for just about 30 many years, with family members regulation currently being her practice’s concentration for the last two a long time.
Speaking to MLive instantly immediately after getting sworn in, Wood claimed she’s psyched to tackle the family regulation facet of Circuit Court, which also handles felony and civil issues.
“I’m just quite psyched to meet the folks of Bay County and to truly trouble fix,” she stated. “That’s what I have carried out pretty very well in non-public apply — come across a way to resolve difficulties. I’m seriously hunting forward to that.”
In 2010, Wooden was voted “Favorite Household Lawyer” by Good Lakes Bay Journal. She has also served as a board member and president of the Bay County Bar Association and has represented the county in the Condition Bar Agent Assembly.
Wooden is a Bay Town indigenous who graduated from Western Large College in 1982. She then attended Delta Faculty ahead of transferring to the University of Michigan, where she gained her bachelor’s diploma in 1986. Subsequent graduation, Wooden labored as a merchandising manager for Hudson’s Office Retail store in Novi, but she could not long resist the get in touch with of the law, a contact that commenced a long time earlier.
When Wooden was in significant college, she served as a runner in the law practice of her late father, James Scott Wooden, who practiced in Bay City for more than 50 yrs. Wood’s large faculty knowledge showed her why her father loved the legal profession. Wooden reported she identified herself drawn to the customer call as perfectly as to the camaraderie of the Bay County attorneys, judges, and courthouse workers.
In 1992, Wood graduated at the top rated of her class at the Detroit Faculty of Law. As university student director of the Moot Court docket Crew in her senior yr, she was picked as Most effective Oralist for her presentation in the Cardozo Moot Courtroom national competition. She also was named Remarkable Woman Regulation Graduate by the American Affiliation of Women Legal professionals.
Though attending law university, Wood clerked for the Detroit firm of Honigman Miller, which led to a career offer. However, Wooden returned to Bay County to do the job with her father for 10 several years till he died in 2003 at age 83.
For the very last 25 a long time, Wood and her brother have practiced alongside one another as homeowners-associates of The Wood Law Firm, 721 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay Metropolis.
Examine much more:
‘I’m grateful to the people today of Bay County for putting me in this career,’ says retiring Decide Harry Gill
Legal professional Jessie Scott Wooden announces candidacy for Bay County judgeship as Harry Gill readies for retirement