Bio 

Jessica Burton represents Ward 1. She is a proud City of Winder native. She is a graduate of Winder-Barrow High School, Class of 2006, where she was a cheerleader during her senior year.

Jessica earned an Associate Degree in Spanish and Modern Languages from Gainesville State College, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Modern Languages with a minor in English from University of North Georgia. She began her professional career in education, teaching Spanish and literature at Peachtree Academy for two years before pursuing a legal education.

Jessica graduated cum laude from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 2020. During law school, she served on the AJMLS Law Journal for two years, including as Legislative Editor during the 2019–2020 academic year. She also interned with State Representative Matt Gurtler during the 2020 Legislative Session.

She began her legal career with Bernard & Johnson, LLC, where she focused on criminal defense and civil rights litigation, with the majority of her work devoted to indigent defense. Jessica is admitted to practice in all courts in the State of Georgia, including the Georgia Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Georgia, as well as the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia’s federal courts and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jessica currently serves as an Assistant Public Defender in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. In addition to her professional work, she served on the Barrow County Board of Equalization in 2024 and volunteers with the Robert W. Adamson Legal Aid Clinic in Barrow County.

She is married to Eric Burton, a musician and avid music enthusiast, and they have two children. Their household also includes dogs, cats, and parrots. Outside of work and community service, Jessica enjoys reading, listening to music—ranging from Brooke Fraser and Ghost to classic rock and Latin American artists—and binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.