Acting Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Lyn Stuart, an Atmore native, was the guest speaker at the North Baldwin Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting on Feb. 2.

Stuart spoke about growing up in Atmore, and her fond memories of swimming in the creek, and how Bay Minette is the best place to live, work and play.

“Justice Stuart painted a perfect picture of Bay Minette and North Baldwin County, and reminded all of us just how much we have to be thankful for,” North Baldwin Chamber Executive Director Ashley Jones Davis said. “Her passion for our community helped to illustrate why the North Baldwin Chamber does what we do, and why we work hard to create a great place to live, work and play. We were honored to have Acting Chief Justice Stuart join us at our annual meeting, and we are even more grateful to have her as a part of our community.”

Stuart attended public schools and graduated from Escambia County High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and education from Auburn University with honors in 1977, and her law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1980.

Upon graduation from law school, Stuart worked as an assistant attorney general for the state of Alabama under former Attorney General Charles Graddick.

She also served as executive assistant to the commissioner and special assistant attorney general for the state department of corrections.

Upon moving to Baldwin County, Stuart became an assistant district attorney for Baldwin County on the staff of District Attorney David Whetstone.

In 1988, she was elected district judge, and was re-elected in 1994. Gov. Fob James appointed Stuart to the circuit bench in January 1997. She was elected, without opposition, to a six-year term in 1998.

Stuart was elected to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2000 and re-elected in 2006 and 2012.

Stuart, as the senior member of the court, became the acting chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court on May 6, 2016.

Stuart was invited and served as a Faculty Advisor at the National Judicial College in Reno, N.V.

She is a past president of the Alabama Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. She has served as a national speaker for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, training judges and other professionals on the handling of child abuse and neglect cases. She served as president of the Blue Ridge Institute for Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 2002.

Stuart and her husband, George, have two sons, Tucker and Shepard, and a daughter, Kelly. She is the grandmother of two, Sophie and Thomas Stuart.