January 30, 2015
At its 2015 annual meeting in Athens, the Council of Superior Court Judges awarded the Honorable Lawton E. Stephens the fourth annual Emory Findley Award for “Outstanding Judicial Service.”
Judge Stephens is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. He has served as a Western Judicial Circuit superior court judge for over 23 years. Judge Stephens also served as the president of the Council of Superior Court Judges from May 2000-April 2001.
The award is named for the late Atlantic Judicial Circuit superior court Judge Emory Findley, who served in that role from 1976-1994. Judge Findley died in 2004, still serving as a senior judge. The annual award will be given to honor a judge who exemplifies Judge Findley’s virtues of visionary leadership, resolve, and dedication.
The award was presented to Judge Stephens by Judge Kathlene F. Gosselin, Northeastern Judicial Circuit, who was honored with the award in 2013.