Robert Benham
From Judgepedia
Justice Robert Benham was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in December 1989 by Governor Joe Frank Harris. He won the statewide election to a full term on the Supreme Court on July 17, 1990.
Legal Education and Experience
Justice Benham graduated from Tuskegee University (B. S. Political Science) in 1967. He later attended Harvard University; and graduated from the University of Georgia, Lumpkin School of Law (J. D.) in 1970 and the University of Virginia where he received his LL.M. Degree in 1989.
After completing law school, Justice Benham served in the U. S. Army Reserve, attaining the rank of Captain. He then served briefly as a trial attorney for Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., later returning to Cartersville, where he engaged in the private practice of law, served as Special Assistant Attorney General, and served two terms as President of the Bartow County Bar Association.
On April 3, 1984, Justice Benham was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Joe Frank Harris. He won the statewide election and served on the Court of Appeals for five years.
Associations[1]
- American Judicature Society
- Member/Past President, Bartow County Bar Association
- Former Board Member, Federal Lawyers Association
- Former Board Member, Georgia Association of Trial Lawyers
- Georgia Bar Foundation
- Former Vice President, Georgia Conference of Black Lawyers
- Trustee, Georgia Legal History Foundation
- Member, Governors Business Institute
- Lawyers' Club of Atlanta
- National Association of Court Management
- National Conference of Chief Justices
- National Criminal Justice Association
- Scribes, the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects
- President, Society for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Awards & Accomplishments
"During Justice Benham’s tenure as chief justice, the Supreme Court of Georgia was listed as one of the most progressive supreme courts in the nation by the American Bar Association Journal. Additionally, Justice Benham was listed in Georgia Trend magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” for six years while serving as chief justice and is presently listed as a “Notable Georgian.” He was named by Ebony magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in America” for three consecutive years during his term as chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court."[2]
"He received national, state and local awards for creating Georgia’s first drug courts. The State Bar of Georgia Community Service Award is named after Justice Benham, as well as the first Law Camp for High School students. He received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Litigation Section of the Atlanta Bar Association and the 2007 R. Prudence Herndon Award from the Gate City Bar Association. He also received the 2007 William Hastie Award from the National Bar Association at its national meeting in Atlanta. Justice Benham created Georgia’s first Comprehensive Legal Education Program, which has allowed more than 200 minority students to attend law school."[3]
Campaign Contributions[4]
Contributions Received
- Total contributions previously reported
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $400.00
- Cash Amount: $360,005.78
- Total amount of all contributions of $101.00 or more received in this reporting period
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $823.00
- Cash Amount: $157,321.65
- Total contributions to date
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $1,223.00
- Cash Amount: $517,327.43
Expenditures Made
- Total expenditures made and reported prior to this reporting period
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $0.00
- Cash Amount: $320,710.22
- Total amount of all expenditures of $101.00 or more made in this reporting period
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $0.00
- Cash Amount: $15,740.43
- Total expenditures to date
- In-Kind Estimated Value: $0.00
- Cash Amount: $336,450.65
- Net Balance On Hand
- Cash Amount: $180,876.78
In the News: Articles
Election watchers do not expect challenges
The deadline to run for Georgia Supreme Court is less than six months away and political insiders say they haven't heard about anyone challenging an incumbent.
"But Evans said he would be surprised to see an “organized strategy to fund” a challenge to either of the two Supreme Court justices up for re-election, Robert Benham and P. Harris Hines. “He's got enough of a presence, he's well-respected enough that I would be surprised if he had a serious challenge,” said Evans. In the past, however, challengers have usually stayed below the radar until close to qualifying time. Some appellate judges aren't taking any chances."[5]
Benham has support from politically diverse players and has numbers that put him at a good spot at this stage in the game. Overall, Benham's campaign has raised about $667,437 and spent about $390,857. Over the past six months, the campaign has spent about $50,000, about a third of the money that's coming in. Which to some is a modest amount of money for the campaign he is running.
