Judges Receive Prestigious Emory Findley Award

 

At its 2014 annual meeting in Athens, Georgia, the Council of Superior Court Judges presented the third annual Emory Findley Award for Outstanding Judicial Service to the Honorable Cynthia D. Wright and the Honorable John D. Allen. This honor recognizes Superior Court Judges who exhibit outstanding judicial leadership and service.

The award is named for the late Superior Court Judge Emory Findley of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, who served in that role for nearly two decades from 1976 to 1994. Judge Findley became president of the council in 1983 and guided it to become the strategic body it is today, where all Georgia Superior Court Judges are empowered to improve the operation of the courts. Judge Findley died in 2004, still serving as a senior judge. The annual award is given to honor judges who exemplify Judge Findley’s virtues of visionary leadership, resolve, and dedication.

Judge Wright is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. She has served as an Atlanta Judicial Circuit superior court judge for 18 years and served as chief judge for almost four years. She previously served as chief legal counsel to Governor Zell Miller, during which time she authored the legislation and constitutional amendment that established the Georgia Lottery for Education.

Judge Wright received the 2006 Jack P. Turner Award from the State Bar of Georgia for outstanding contributions and achievement in family law in Georgia. She also received the Families First Award from the Atlanta Bar Association and the Joseph T. Tuggle, Jr. Professionalism Award from the State Bar of Georgia. Lawdragon, a guide to the nation’s best lawyers and judges, selected Judge Wright as one of 500 Leading Judges in America. She has been a member of the Council of Superior Court Judges’ Executive Committee and the Judicial Council of Georgia.

Judge Allen served as a Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit superior court judge for 20 years and chief judge for four years before taking senior status. He was a member of the Council of Superior Court Judges’ Executive Committee and was one of only two judges sitting on the Judicial Qualifications Commission, a disciplinary committee for all Georgia judges. He also served as chairman of the JQC.

After a highly decorated military career, Judge Allen graduated from the University of the Florida School of Law. He went on to open a pioneering bi-racial law firm that represented hundreds of clients free of charge. He was also instrumental in establishing the Dial-A-Ride transportation service for people with disabilities and in launching Columbus United Beyond 2000, a community advocacy effort for diversity and inclusion that promoted the magnet school concept.

The award was presented by the Council’s president, Judge Louisa Abbot of the Eastern Judicial Circuit.