Justice Robert Benham Scholars Program Fund

The Justice Robert Benham Scholars Program Fund was created to attract and support diverse students who might think law school is beyond their reach, particularly those who have overcome significant adversity and demonstrated an intent to return to and serve rural or legally underserved communities. The Fund will provide for scholarships, participant support costs, bar preparation, professional development attire, participation in the school’s early start program, materials and supplies, consultant/speaker fees, and any additional Program-related expenses deemed appropriate by the Dean of the School.

Justice Robert Benham was the longest serving and first African American member of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He served on the Supreme Court of Georgia for over 30 years and retired in March 2020.

After earning his Bachelor of Science from Tuskegee University in 1967, Benham became the second African American to graduate from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1970. In 1984, he was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Gov. Joe Frank Harris where he served for five years before being appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in 1989. That same year, he earned his Master of Laws from the University of Virginia.

A lifelong resident of Georgia, Benham holds memberships in multiple organizations state-wide and nationally, including the Lawyers' Club of Atlanta, the American Society of Writers on Legal Subjects and the National Criminal Justice Association. He serves as president for the Society for Alternative Dispute Resolution, as a trustee of the Georgia Legal History Foundation, and as chairman of the Judicial Council and the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism.