A retirement reception for Presiding Judge Alta Brady will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday in courtroom C at Deschutes County Circuit Court in Bend.

The event is open to the public.

Brady, who retired from the Circuit Court Dec. 31, 2017, was appointed to the court in May 1994 by then Gov. Barbara Roberts. She served at the presiding judge from 2012 until her retirement.

In 2006, Brady led the team that created the Deschutes County Family Drug Court, a specialty court for parents at risk of losing their children due to criminal involvement and drug addiction. She presided over the family drug court for 11 years.

Before becoming a judge, Brady worked as a law clerk for Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Robert Redding. She went on to work as a deputy district attorney in Multnomah County then Deschutes County before entering into a private practice in Bend.

She was a founding member of the Central Oregon chapter of Oregon Women Lawyers, now known as Cascade Women Lawyers.

In addition, Brady served part time as the Bend Municipal Court Judge from 1988 to 1994.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Washington in 1979, and a law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1983.