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Probate judge tapped for state duties
Jordan appointed to panel by Deal
Deal Jordan WEB 1
Gov. Nathan Deal, right, congratulates Forsyth County Probate Judge Lynwood Jordan Jr. on being named to a courts commission. - photo by For the Forsyth County News

 

Forsyth County’s Probate Court judge has recently accepted appointments to two boards important to Georgia’s judicial system.

Lynwood “Woody” Jordan Jr. has been chosen by the president of the State Bar of Georgia to serve on the Next Generation Courts Commission.

Jordan has also been appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the Board of Commissioners of the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund of Georgia.

Jordan said he’s appreciative of the chance to work on both panels.

“It’s a different kind of opportunity,” he said. “Both of these involve a lot of people’s lives and planning for the future.”

The courts commission, which includes judges, clerks and lawyers from across the state, was formed last summer.

Members are charged with the task of considering what the court system should look like in 20 years and developing a strategy for getting to that point.

Their work will include evaluating court structure, technology, funding, caseload management and judicial selection.

The retirement board’s powers and duties include paying the entity’s administrative expenses and making all necessary rules and regulations, consistent with state law, for the board’s government and for the government of its employees.

It also makes refunds and repayments to those who may be entitled to receive them.

Jordan is the Outstanding Probate Court Judge of the Year for 2011 and serves on the board of trustees for the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education at the University of Georgia.

He has served a two-year term on the Judicial Council of Georgia and is the immediate past president of the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia.

Jordan received his undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta, after which he served in the U.S. Army.

He then graduated cum laude from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.

Jordan practiced law in Cumming from 1975 until his election as probate judge in 2004, concentrating in later years on estate planning, wills, estates and probate.

He served as county administrator and county guardian/conservator for 15 years prior to his election. He was county attorney from 1975-85.

A member of the First United Methodist Church in Cumming, Jordan is married to the former Susan Davenport Finnigan, whom he met at Emory. They have three children and several grandchildren.