Atlanta, March 27, 2020 – In a historic first, Governor Brian Kemp has appointed Judge Carla Wong McMillian, the Vice Chief of the Court of Appeals of Georgia, to serve on the Supreme Court of Georgia. Judge McMillian was the first Asian Pacific American state appellate judge ever to be appointed in the Southeast, and she is the first to be appointed to a state Supreme Court.

Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Judge McMillian was appointed to the Court of Appeals of Georgia by Governor Nathan Deal, taking office in January 2013. Upon her election in 2014, Judge McMillian became the first Asian American to be elected to a statewide office in Georgia.

Before that, Judge McMillian served as the State Court Judge for Fayette County, a position to which she was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2010. In 2012, the voters of Fayette County overwhelmingly elected her to a full term after a contested election. She was the first minority woman elected countywide to any office in Fayette County history and the first AsianAmerican female judge to be elected in Georgia.

Before her appointment to the bench, Judge McMillian was a partner in the litigation group of the national law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP. Her practice centered on complex business litigation, including a heavy emphasis on appellate matters.

Throughout her career, Judge McMillian has demonstrated a commitment to public service and leadership with numerous civic and legal organizations. She practices her belief that lawyers have a special duty to model and promote the highest ideals of their profession, and has accepted invitations to speak at numerous venues about important professionalism issues.

Judge McMillian works hard to educate Georgia’s next generation by speaking at local school events, hosting student groups who visit the courthouse, and serving as a judge for high school and law school mock trial competitions.

“The Court of Appeals has been fortunate to have Vice Chief Judge McMillian,” said Court of
Appeals Chief Judge Christopher J. McFadden. “The Supreme Court will be well served by her diligence and by her thoughtful and careful analysis. We wish her the very best in her new role.”