Deitra Burney-Butler, JD, is a ZERO TO THREE Fellow. She was appointed to the Clayton County (Georgia) Juvenile Court bench in January 2009.
Prior to being appointed, Judge Burney-Butler practiced law for several years in private practice where she specialized in criminal defense, family, and juvenile law. Judge Burney-Butler also served as both an assistant district attorney with the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office and an assistant solicitor with the Clayton County Solicitor General’s Office. Judge Burney-Butler is the lead judge for the Clayton County Juvenile Court Dependency Practices and Innovations and has been instrumental updating the Dependency County Practice Guide to include automating many of the systems. She is also the lead judge for the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges Dependency Court Improvement Initiative for the Clayton County Region. Judge Burney-Butler completed the Advanced Child Abuse and Neglect Institute as part of its inaugural class. In addition, she attended the Complex Trauma Summit and the National Child Welfare and Family Law Summit. Judge Burney-Butler is a 1994 graduate of the University of Denver College of Law and is a member of both the Georgia and Colorado Bar Associations. She is a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, where she serves on the Diversion Committee, and the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges, where she serves on the Delinquency Improvement Initiative and Permanency Planning committees. Judge Burney-Butler is the mother of one son and is involved in various capacities in many school-related academic and athletic activities.
