Judge Susan Schaffer’s 28+ year legal career has been devoted to serving the public interest. After obtaining her undergraduate degree from Boston University and earning her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Memphis School of Law, she started out as a legal services attorney, representing rural lower income clients in civil legal matters. After 6 ½ years, the last 4 of which having been spent with Georgia Legal Services Program, she moved to Athens in 2001 and served for 13 1/2 years as the Managing Attorney for the University of Georgia School of Law Family Violence Clinic (now known as the Jane W. Wilson Family Justice Clinic), teaching students and providing legal representation to indigent survivors of domestic violence and their children. For 6 years she served under former Judge Susan Tate as Staff Attorney, Pro Hac Vice Judge and Chief Clerk of the Athens-Clarke County Probate Court prior to taking office as Probate Judge of Athens-Clarke County in January of 2021.