Today, the People’s Parity Project released a report assessing professional diversity on the Georgia state bench, finding a stark underrepresentation of judges with pro-people backgrounds. You can view the full report here.
Since 2021, the Biden administration has taken deliberate steps to increase the professional diversity of the federal judiciary by nominating more judges with experience in legal aid, public defense, and civil rights law. But while significant strides have been made at the federal level, the same cannot be said of Georgia’s state courts. At the appellate level, the bench is dominated by former corporate attorneys and prosecutors; very few judges at any level of the Georgia judiciary have experience representing workers or consumers.
State courts hold incredible sway over the lives of Georgia residents. They have jurisdiction over lawsuits filed by workers attempting to avenge their rights and consumers striving to hold corporations accountable, as well as criminal trials that literally determine matters of life and death.
Prioritizing increased professional diversity on the Georgia bench must be a top priority for everyone who cares about justice in the state.