Judge Rebekah Coleman

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:

JUDGE REBEKAH COLEMAN (JRC)

PGMAG: Judge Rebekah, so good to have you on today’s interview with Lady Anita.

JRC: Thank you for the invitation!

PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself.

JRC: My name is Rebekah Coleman, I was born and raised in the City of Detroit and practiced law for 10 years prior to running for Judge. My main areas of focus were criminal, probate and bankruptcy law. Both of my parents worked in the legal field so my desire to go to law school came from them. My parents were also heavily involved in community service and I gained a love for helping people through many of the projects I was involved in as a young child.

PGMAG: What were some of the key experiences you gained on your journey to becoming a Judge?

JRC:

From practicing law I have learned that there needs to be multiple options available for people. Many times in criminal cases, people will be told what not to do but they are not really given the tools needed so that they can learn what to do, so that’s why I am so passionate about alternative sentencing programs.

PGMAG: Your job is quite a tough one, because so many destinies are determined by your decision as a Judge. How do you manage to keep things running smoothly in the courtroom?

JRC: I make sure that I listen to all of the facts presented. Details are vitally important as well as the way the details are presented to the Court. After listening to everything presented, I apply the law, common sense and wisdom to make my decisions. And if I need to review things a little further, I make sure that I do that. Nothing has to be rushed and there is nothing wrong with setting matters out a couple of days in order to review the different issues so that a good and sound decision can be made.

PGMAG: What is your no.1 philosophy as a leader?

JRC: FAIRNESS!

PGMAG: As a woman with one of the toughest jobs, how do you maintain a healthy lifestyle?

JRC: I have a young child and raising him is what I would say makes me maintain a healthy lifestyle. I want to make sure I am instilling good values in him and I can only do that by making sure that I am healthy so that I can be here to help him navigate through life.

PGMAG: What is your message for world leaders?

JRC: The world needs a lot of healing, so we have to learn how to spread more love and mean it!

PGMAG: If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently?

JRC:

I would have travelled the world more while in college and taken advantage of some of the study abroad programs. I believe it is important for people to have learning experiences with different cultures because these experiences help us to become more accepting and respectful of each other’s differences and make us better human beings overall.

PGMAG: What is your message for our youth?

JRC: Enjoy your time as a child. You only get 17 years to be a child and the rest to be an adult so make sure to not rush it. Also, when deciding on what career you want to pursue, keep an open mind and try different things because you may be surprised at some of the different areas you may have an interest in.

PGMAG: Finally, what would you say has been your biggest win in life?

JRC: Outside of becoming a mother, my biggest win has been able to really help a lot of my clients get on the right track in life, whether it’s through a financial reset (Chapter 7 bankruptcy), getting access to rehabilitative programs (Criminal Law) or getting the mental health treatment they needed (Probate Law). And I look forward to developing more programs that will help the community that I serve.

PGMAG: Judge Rebekah, thank you once again for blessing us with your contribution.

JRC: Thanks again for the invitation and I look forward to connecting again in the near future.

PGMAG: Please share your links with us.

JRC: https://districtcourt32a. wixsite.com/32adistrictcourt The Courts website is currently under construction but check back soon for the new and exciting programs and events that will be happening at the 32A District Court.