State Bar honors former Georgia Supreme Court chief justice from Milledgeville
Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugh P. Thompson, of Milledgeville, has received the State Bar of Georgia's highest accolade.
Thompson was presented the 2017 Distinguished Service Award at a State Bar meeting earlier this month.
“We are honored to show our appreciation to Justice Thompson for his career of service as a lawyer, jurist and public servant and his dedication to upholding the rule of law under the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Georgia and the foundational ideal of equal justice for all,” said State Bar immediate past president Patrick T. O’Connor in a news release.
Thompson served 47 years in the legal profession and judicial system.
He served on the high court from 1994 to 2016, having been appointed in 1994 by then Gov. Zell Miller and having served as the chief justice from 2013 until his retirement.
Thompson previously served as a Superior Court judge in the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit, including seven years as the circuit’s chief judge and two years as president of the Georgia Council of Superior Court Judges.
He also formerly served as both judge of the Milledgeville City Court and judge of the Baldwin County Court, which is now known as State Court.
A Georgia native, Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1970 and had a law practice in Milledgeville.
He earned his law degree from Mercer University's law school. He attended Emory University and Oglethorpe University for his undergraduate studies .
Additionally, Thompson has received numerous honors for professional and community service, including the 1994 Outstanding Alumnus Award from Mercer Law, the 1993 Distinguished Service Award from the Baldwin County Bar Association, the 1988 Outstanding Public Service Award from the Milledgeville Kiwanis Club and the 1972 Distinguished Service Award from the Milledgeville Jaycees.
This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 5:59 PM with the headline "State Bar honors former Georgia Supreme Court chief justice from Milledgeville."