Amber Donley, a private practice attorney and member of the Jacksonville Bar Association board of governors, will soon become a state court magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
Donley said April 29 that she received an offer letter for the post from the Trial Court Administrator on April 25 and immediately accepted the offer.
She and her husband, William Donley III, own Donley Law Firm PLLC in Orange Park. They practice estate planning, probate, guardianship, criminal defense and juvenile delinquency law as well as contract litigation.
Donley said her term as magistrate begins May 19 and she is winding down her practice and turning the firm over to her husband.
State court magistrates conduct hearings, make findings of fact, offer recommendations to judges and may draft proposed orders. Their recommendations are subject to the judge’s review and final approval.
“The end goal for me is to serve on the bench. Serving as a magistrate gives me quasi-judicial experience, so I see this as a stepping stone,” Donley said.
Born in Miami, Donley graduated from Bethune-Cookman University and then was an elementary school teacher in Central Florida before enrolling in Florida Coastal School of Law. She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2010.