Background
I was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, the last of four children of Theophilus and Elizabeth Akinyele. I moved to the United States at the age of sixteen, attending the University of South Carolina from 1983 through 1987, where I received an undergraduate degree in biology.
I also attended Mercer University School of Business, receiving a master's degree, and later obtained a law degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta. I am a naturalized U.S. citizen and originally moved to DeKalb County in 1988.
My Career
I started my career in the environmental industry in Atlanta and moved to Puerto Rico in 1989. I spent the next five years with an environmental consulting firm, Briggs Associates, where I was the project manager responsible for a three million dollar annual contract. During my tenure, I received NIOSH, OSHA and EPA certifications in environmental remediation, waste water management, indoor air quality, and Phase I site assessments.
The Transition
My work in the environmental industry primarily dealt with how government laws and regulations applied to work activities of employers and employees. I was the bridge between the employer and the employees, to make sure that both sides followed all applicable federal and local laws. The legal aspects of the job piqued my interest and as a result, I decided to leave the industry and go to law school to further my career.
My Current Position
I am currently a Senior Assistant District Attorney in the DeKalb County District Attorney's office under District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming. Prior to this, I was a prosecutor under the previous administrations of former DeKalb District Attorney J. Tom Morgan, interim District Attorney Jeff Brickman, and Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.
My current position allows me to demonstrate my passion for public service and the public good by immersing myself into difficult cases like sexual assaults, armed robberies, home invasions and homicides.
Committee to Elect Tunde Akinyele
DeKalb County State Court Judge
P. O. Box 567
Decatur, GA 30031
phone: 678-281-1567email: tunde@tundeakinyele.com
Legal Experience
Tunde graduated from Georgia State University College of Law in 2000. He received several awards including the ATLA Richard D. Hailey Scholarship, and the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation Scholarship, both for outstanding trial advocacy. While in law school, Tunde interned for the Honorable Dorothy Toth Beasley, former Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Honorable Carol W. Hunstein, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Tunde used those appellate experiences to learn the inner workings of the trial and appellate court systems.
After finishing law school, Tunde began his law career at the then DeKalb County Solicitor-General, Gwen Keyes Fleming's office, starting out in the courtroom of the Honorable Edward E. Carriere, the position for which he now seeks your support. Tunde briefly worked at the Fulton County District Attorney's office, before returning to the DeKalb County District Attorney's office in 2003.
Education
Tunde has a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina, a master's degree in Health Policy and Administration from Mercer University School of Business, and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law. He graduated with honors from Mercer University Stetson School of Business receiving an award as the most outstanding student.
While at Georgia State University College of Law, Tunde was a member of the Black Law Students Association, the Secretary of the Student Bar Association and the Vice-President of the Student Trial Lawyers Association. Tunde also excelled in appellate advocacy and trial practice. He was a member of both the Moot Court Board and the Student Trial Lawyers Association. He represented the College of Law in four national trial and moot court competitions. He was on teams that won both national and regional trial championships, including the 1998 William Daniel National Invitational competition and the 2000 Association of Trial Lawyers of America Regional mock trial competition. He was undefeated in oral arguments at the 1999 Region V National Moot Court Competition.
Non Legal Experience
Tunde has the business and management experience necessary to be the next DeKalb County State Court judge. In his first career as an environmental consultant, he managed projects in the areas of industrial hygiene and hazardous waste management. He is familiar with indoor and outdoor air quality standards, Phase I and II environmental site assessments, asbestos and lead industry standards. Moreover, as the project manager for a national environmental company, Tunde was responsible for employee management and contract procurement. He was also for a brief period of time an independent contractor with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He further participated in projects in the health care industry, and was involved in the due-diligence and sale of a major Atlanta hospital.
His broad experiences in and outside of law will enable him to bring his first-hand knowledge to effectively judge complex civil cases that may come before him.
Other Activities
Tunde enjoys sharing his experience with the next generation of trial attorneys and has dedicated his time to judging high school and law school mock trial competitions. He has been the presiding judge for several local, state and national level competitions for organizations such as the DeKalb Bar Association, Georgia Bar Association and the National Black Law Students Association. Tunde has taken up a variety of interests, excelling in all areas of his life. He enjoys soccer and once played in an amateur soccer league. He is also an avid mountain biker, an A-level tennis player and a casual golfer. In addition to sports, Tunde likes to work on cars. He actively participates in community activities: as a member of the 100 Black Men of America, DeKalb County, he mentors and encourages middle and high school students in leadership academy programs and is a member of the education committee. Tunde is a board member of the DeKalb Bar Association, the DeKalb Lawyers Association and the Scottdale Early Childhood Learning Center. He is multilingual, conversant in English, Spanish and Yoruba and has a working knowledge of French. In 2007, Tunde created georgialawpages.com, a website directory for Georgia lawyers. Tunde attends the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Decatur.