--- title: SR 970. Colvin, Justice Verda M.; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr970 cite_as: SR 970, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr970 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr970.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr970/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74175 date: 2026-03-19 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr969.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr971.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr970.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 970 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-19 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sonya Halpern - Bo Hatchett - Josh McLaurin - Harold Jones - Randal Mangham - Elena Parent text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR970/2025 upstream_id: 2135886 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Georgia Supreme Court - judicial appointments - legislative honors - Georgia courts --- # SR 970. Colvin, Justice Verda M.; honor ## Text Senate Resolution 970 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Hatchett of the 50th, McLaurin of the 14th, Jones II of the 22nd, Mangham of the 55th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring and commending Justice Verda M. Colvin for her historic achievements, leadership, and distinguished service in the legal profession; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Justice Verda M. Colvin was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School; and WHEREAS, Justice Colvin earned her bachelor's degree in government and religion from Sweet Briar College in Virginia and her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law, reflecting a strong foundation in public service and the law; and WHEREAS, Justice Colvin's legal career reflects a deep dedication to justice, having served as an Assistant Solicitor in Athens-Clarke County, Assistant General Counsel at Clark Atlanta University, Assistant District Attorney in Clayton County, and Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Georgia; and WHEREAS, Justice Colvin also served nearly six years as a Superior Court Judge in the Macon Judicial Circuit, during which time she demonstrated leadership in judicial accountability and reform through service on the Council of Accountability Court Judges and the Council of Superior Court Judges; and WHEREAS, in April 2020, Justice Colvin was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals, further solidifying her record of excellence and commitment to justice; and WHEREAS, on July 20, 2021, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp, becoming the first African American woman appointed by a republican governor to the state's highest court, marking a historic milestone in Georgia's judicial history; and WHEREAS, Justice Colvin's leadership extends beyond the bench through her service on numerous professional, educational, and nonprofit boards, reflecting a sustained commitment to civic engagement and community impact; and WHEREAS, Justice Colvin's legacy reflects integrity, leadership, and dedication to advancing fairness, equity, and public trust within Georgia's judicial system. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor and commend Justice Verda M. Colvin for her historic achievements, leadership, and distinguished service in the legal profession. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Justice Verda M. Colvin. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors Justice Verda M. Colvin of the Supreme Court of Georgia for her legal career and historic appointment to the state's highest court. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia Senate recognizing Justice Verda M. Colvin's career in the legal profession. It recounts her education, her work as a prosecutor and attorney in several roles, her nearly six years as a Superior Court judge in the Macon Judicial Circuit, and her appointments first to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2020 and then to the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2021 by Governor Brian Kemp. The resolution notes that her appointment made her the first African American woman appointed to Georgia's highest court by a Republican governor. It does not change any Georgia law. Its only operative effect is that the Senate formally commends Justice Colvin and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for her. ### What it does - Formally states the Georgia Senate's recognition and commendation of Justice Verda M. Colvin's legal career and achievements. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and make available a copy of the resolution for distribution to Justice Colvin. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a ceremonial statement rather than binding legislation. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Justice Verda M. Colvin of the Supreme Court of Georgia. It does not impose obligations on the public, businesses, or other officials beyond directing Senate staff to prepare a commemorative copy. ### Why it matters Ceremonial resolutions like this one do not change Georgia law or policy. Their significance is symbolic, publicly recording the Senate's recognition of a judicial figure's career and historic appointment for the public record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Justice Colvin's education, early legal career, and nearly six years as a Superior Court judge in the Macon Judicial Circuit. - The whereas clauses note her 2020 appointment to the Georgia Court of Appeals and her 2021 appointment to the Supreme Court of Georgia by Governor Brian Kemp. - The resolved clause formally has the Senate honor and commend Justice Colvin for her achievements and service. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-19) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-19) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Bo Hatchett, Josh McLaurin, Harold Jones, Randal Mangham, Elena Parent - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74175 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr970.md?full=1