Judge Maureen Wood has served as the Rockdale County Juvenile Court Judge since 2016. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Judge Wood is one of a small but growing number of Child Welfare Law Specialists in the state of Georgia. She is committed to ensuring that all children and families who come through her Court have access to the resources they need for success. Since taking the bench in 2016, Judge Wood has expanded the Rockdale County Juvenile Court program offerings by implementing two additional Accountability Courts (Family Treatment Court and Mental Health Resource Court), revamping the Court’s CHINS protocol, and starting the Project GLOW girls’ group. Additionally, the Youth IMPACT Center (formerly known as the Evening Reporting Center) now houses a day program that provides daily supervision and educational instruction to suspended and expelled youth, as well as an evening program that offers supervision, life skills, and tutoring. The evening program also delivers a range of evidence-based programs, including RESHAPE, ART, and MRT. Judge Wood is dedicated to maintaining a youth-centered Court and ensures that all court staff receives training on implicit bias and the effects of trauma on adolescents. She engages the community through consistent stakeholder meetings, speaking engagements, and community events.

Judge Wood is committed to ensuring that the court-involved youth of Rockdale County receive supervision, instruction, and treatment tailored to their individual and familial needs. The Court focuses its resources on more effective interventions and the expedited resolution of court involvement, which Judge Wood believes will ultimately produce the best results for the court-involved youth in the community.

Throughout her career, Judge Wood has held membership and leadership roles in several legal and civic organizations. She is a member of the National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges, the National Association of Counsel for Children, the Georgia Association of Counsel for Children, the American Bar Association National Conference of Specialized Court Judges Judicial Division, and the Child Welfare Law section of the State Bar of Georgia. Judge Wood currently serves on the Executive Board of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges During her tenure, Judge Wood has presented to legal professionals at the Georgia Child Welfare Summit, Georgia CASA Conference, Georgia Clerks’ Conference, and the Georgia Juvenile Court Judges’ Conference.

In addition to her active involvement in several community organizations, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, eating delicious food, and reading good books