Supreme Court of Georgia set to kick off 175th anniversary celebration

ATLANTA — In partnership with the Georgia Legal History Foundation, the Supreme Court of Georgia is hosting a two-day seminar Thursday and Friday, focused on the history and events of the court since its founding. The seminar is part of the court’s 175th anniversary celebration.

The Supreme Court of Georgia decided its first case in 1846.

The event schedule includes a free, public livestream of a fireside chat exploring the evolution of the court and featuring four former Chief Justices at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday; an overview of Georgia’s historic Three Governors Case from University of Georgia Prof. Charles Bullock at 9 a.m. on Friday; and a re-enactment of that case by notable appellate attorneys Michael B. Terry of Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore and W. Ray Persons of King & Spalding at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. Interested persons may access the livestream at gasupreme.us/175th/events-of-public-interest/.

To mark the anniversary, the court has partnered with the Georgia Legal History Foundation to host a celebratory dinner and the two-day seminar.

“This anniversary especially highlights the evolution of the court and our legacy of improving the administration of justice within the state,” Chief Justice David E. Nahmias, chairman of the Georgia Legal History Foundation Board of Trustees, said in a news release.

The Georgia General Assembly approved legislation establishing the state’s highest appellate court in 1845, following an amendment in 1835 to the Georgia Constitution authorizing a Supreme Court. Prior to that time, a new trial before a new jury in the local court was the only procedure available for the correction of a judicial error.

At its inception, the Supreme Court did not have a courthouse or centralized office. Instead, its three justices traveled across the state hearing cases. The court’s first session was held in Talbotton on Jan. 26, 1846. Since then, the court has grown to nine justices and has issued more than 72,000 reported opinions. The court also has moved into the Nathan Deal Judicial Center in downtown Atlanta, which opened in December 2019 and also houses the Court of Appeals of Georgia and the Statewide Business Court. It is the first state building devoted entirely to the judiciary.

“Our history is not just one of Atlanta but rather of all Georgia,” Justice Carla Wong McMillian, a member of the Georgia Legal History Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said, noting that the events will allow the state’s legal community and public to experience the new judicial center.

Included among the anniversary seminar events is a fireside chat on Thursday exploring the evolution of the Court and featuring four former Chief Justices, and the Thursday re-enactment of the oral arguments in Georgia’s historic Three Governors case. These two events will be livestreamed on the Court’s website for free; public access is available at gasupreme.us/175th.

The Georgia Legal History Foundation, formed in 1985 by the Supreme Court, is tasked with promoting the study and preservation of the legal history of Georgia’s judiciary. A full program of events and access to registration can be found on the Georgia Legal History Foundations website at georgialegalhistory.org.

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