Kelley R. Southerland

Commission: meets standards (8–0)

The Seventeenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0 with two commissioners absent, that Judge Kelley R. Southerland MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

During the period under review, Judge Southerland demonstrated exemplary performance across all areas of judicial responsibility. She brings exceptional energy, dedication, and professionalism to her work and displays a deep commitment to serving the community in which she lives and works. Judge Southerland is respected for her integrity, fairness, and calm judicial temperament, consistently treating litigants, attorneys, and court staff with patience, respect, and dignity. Since being on the bench, she has done rotations in juvenile and domestic relations where she combines strong legal knowledge with an acute understanding of the complex social, mental health, and resource related challenges facing families. Judge Southerland strives to promote accountability while encouraging positive outcomes. Judge Southerland is also highly collaborative, contributing meaningfully to a cohesive bench and actively engaging in boards and statewide initiatives that support the judiciary and the public. Her written work reflects careful legal analysis and a commitment to legally correct outcomes, even in difficult or emotionally charged cases. As in many high volume jurisdictions, the timeliness of written orders remains a systemic challenge due to heavy caseloads and limited judicial resources; nevertheless, Judge Southerland is thoughtful and conscientious in managing these demands and remains committed to balancing efficiency with quality decision making. Overall, Judge Southerland exemplifies the highest standards of judicial service and is an outstanding jurist whose leadership, work ethic, and devotion to the rule of law make her an exceptional asset to both the court and the community.

In reaching its recommendation, the Commission considered multiple sources of information, including a personal interview with Judge Southerland, courtroom observations, a review of her written decisions, and judicial performance surveys. Survey responses were overwhelmingly positive, though of the nearly three thousand survey invites that were sent out, only fourteen responded. Most of these fourteen people noted her fairness, compassion and patience on the bench. The only negative responses were about the timeliness of orders, an area where Judge Southerland strives to improve, but also is exceptionally challenging for the entire bench due to a lack of judicial resources.

Judge Southerland was appointed as district court judge in the 17th Judicial District effective January 10, 2023. Before her appointment to the district court, Judge Southerland served as a magistrate in the 17th Judicial District beginning in 2017. In her practice before joining the judicial branch, Judge Southerland's career as an attorney spanned 15 years of dedicated service to children and families. She served in various legal roles in the juvenile and domestic relations courts. Judge Southerland is a graduate of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and Iliff School of Theology.

State evaluation page · 2026 survey report (PDF)