School of Law

Georgia Legal History Foundation

Founded in 1985 by a group appointed by the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia, the Georgia Legal History Foundation, Inc. became one of the first organizations in the nation to be chartered to promote the study and preservation of the legal history of an individual state. The Foundation has sponsored an annual seminar, for which professional attendees receive continuing legal education credit; has held a series of annual dinner meetings featuring speeches by distinguished American legal historians; and has sustained the Nestor Awards program, which seeks to honor the accomplishments of leading Georgia lawyers. The Foundation has also recreated the Atlanta law office of Woodrow Wilson and underwritten the preservation of Wilson memorabilia. Activities of the Foundation directly contribute to the implementation of innovative professionalism programs in Georgia originated by former Chief Justices Harold G. Clarke and Thomas O. Marshall, both of whom, along with former Chief Justice Harold N. Hill, Jr. have been deeply involved in the activities of the Foundation.

Mission:

To preserve, analyze, and depict the legal history of the State of Georgia, especially that of the Supreme Court of Georgia and other courts of the State and the Bar, and to disseminate that history for the purposes of educating the public and the legal community.

Goals:

A) To encourage the study, preservation, and dissemination of the legal history of Georgia including, but not limited to, the collection, preservation, and maintenance of publications, books, manuscripts, oral histories, artifacts, and other materials and sources of information pertaining to Georgia legal history, its courts, judges, lawyers, and law schools; and 

B) To foster the values and ideals of professionalism and ethical awareness by recalling the past as a source of inspiration, admonition, and guidance to present and future practitioners of law; and 
C) To serve the public interest by encouraging lawyers and judges to act upon their responsibility to see to it that their profession continues to be a calling in the spirit of public service.

Purposes:

A) To develop and foster an awareness of the significance of Georgia legal history among the members of the State Bar of Georgia as well as law students, academics, non-lawyer professionals, and lay individuals, and to support appropriate educational and similar efforts to achieve this goal; 
B) To publish a newsletter or other publications informing interested members and others about activities and other matters of interest related to Georgia legal history; 
C) To sponsor continuing legal and other education programs which focus on Georgia legal history; 
D) To cooperate fully with other organizations devoted to the preservation and dissemination of Georgia legal history;
E) To coordinate activities among and between the judiciary, the State Bar of Georgia, the law schools of the State, and other relevant entities regarding the preservation and dissemination of Georgia legal history; and 

F) To recognize and present awards to distinguished Georgia lawyers and judges and to develop opportunities for lawyers, judges, and law students to gather formally and informally to further the mission and goals of the Georgia Legal History Foundation.

 

OFFICERS

Hon P. Harris Hines, Chief Justice, Chairman of the Board of Trustees

John C. Bell, Jr., President and Chairman of the Executive Committee

William Scott Henwood, Vice President 

Jacquelyn Smith Clarke, Secretary 

Gregory K. Smith, Treasurer

 

ACTIVE TRUSTEES

Charles R. Adams, III, Macon

Hon. Anne Elizabeth Barnes, Atlanta

Griffin B. Bell, III, Decatur

John C. Bell, Jr., Augusta

Hon. Robert Benham, Cartersville

Thomas P. Bishop, Atlanta

Tom Watson  "Tad" Brown, Jr., Evans 

Carolyn C. "Tippi" Burch, Atlanta 

Hon. George H. Carley, Decatur

Lee B. Carter, Rome

Jacquelyn Smith Clarke, Marietta

Susan W. Cox, Statesboro

George W. "Buddy" Darden, Marietta

John Walter Drake, Decatur

Thomas A. Eaton, Athens

Hon. John J. Ellington, Soperton

Walter J. Gordon, Hartwell

John E. Hall, Jr., Norcross

William Scott Henwood, Decatur 

Richard B. Herzog, Jr., Atlanta 

Hon. P. Harris Hines, Marietta 

Hon. Carol W. Hunstein, Decatur 

Hon. Steve C. Jones, Atlanta

John M. Larkins, Jr., Atlanta

Sally Evans Lockwood, Atlanta 

John Bell Manly, Savannah

Hon. Carla Wong McMillian, Tyrone

W. Ray Persons, Atlanta

McCraken K. "Ken" Poston, Jr., Ringgold 

Ryan Rowberry, Atlanta

John C. Sammon, Morganton 

Yonna Windham Shaw, Macon 

John M. Sheftall, Columbus 

Gregory K. Smith, Atlanta

Hon. Lawton E. Stephens, Athens

Hon. Hugh P. Thompson, Milledgeville

Paul H. Threlkeld, Savannah 

David F. Walbert, Atlanta 

Stuart Ellis Walker, Macon 

Joel O. Wooten, Jr., Columbus

 

TRUSTEES EMERITUS

R. Byron Attridge, Atlanta

Hon. Roy E. Barnes, Marietta 

Bobby Lee Cook, Summerville 

Hon. Braswell D. Deen, Jr., Atlanta 

Hon. David H. Gambrell, Atlanta 

Robert E. Hicks, Atlanta

L. Lynn Hogue, Atlanta

David E. Hudson, Augusta

E. Ray Lanier, Monticello

Hon. Marion T. Pope, Jr., Canton

W. Rhett Tanner, Atlanta

 

PAST-PRESIDENT (1995-2008): W. Rhett Tanner
PAST-PRESIDENT (1985-1995): Lawrence B. Custer (1935-1999)
FORMER CHAIRPERSON OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Hon. Griffin Boyette Bell
 
did-you-know
With more than 6,600 living alumni all over the country and in virtually every legal arena, the Mercer Law name has a long and enduring track record for producing practice-ready lawyers.

Our Community

Mercer University
1-800-MERCER-U