Amber Donley is a state court magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit. She joined the bench May 19, 2025.
If you weren’t a magistrate what do you think you’d be?
I would be an attorney and owner of a law firm.
Do you currently serve the JBA on any committee?
As a former member of the board of governors, I am deciding on the best way to continue to be involved in the Jacksonville Bar Association.
There are so many options, and I am sure I will find my way while juggling my new role.
What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston.
Do you have any special talents?
My special talent is writing. I am in the process of reviewing edits from my developmental editor for a manuscript I have worked on for the past three years. The genre is fiction.
Have you traveled anywhere exotic?
The most exotic place I traveled to was Roatan, Honduras.
It’s a beautiful well-kept island with amazing beaches and delicious Caribbean food.
The ocean water is crystal clear with varying hues of blue.
If you could meet someone from history, who would it be and why?
It would be Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. She was such a pioneer in the early 1900s despite the obstacles she faced.
She was not only a founder of a college, a community leader and an advisor to a president, she was a beacon of hope.
What is your favorite food?
All things Italian.
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year.