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Biography

Former Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears joined Schiff Hardin in 2009 after distinguished service on the Georgia Supreme Court. She concentrates her practice in general and appellate litigation, with a particular focus on "high stakes" cases, where an appeal is likely. She also advises clients facing governmental inquiries. As both a former practicing attorney and judge, Justice Sears is particularly adept at developing and advising clients on litigation strategy.

Justice Sears' credentials include extensive experience on both sides of the bench. She began her career as an accomplished trial attorney for one of Atlanta's largest firms. Five years later, Mayor Andrew Young appointed her as a judge in Atlanta's City Traffic Court. After serving three years in this position, Justice Sears was elected to the Superior Court of Fulton County Georgia. She became the first African-American woman to hold such a position in the state of Georgia. In February of 1992, Governor Zell Miller appointed her to Georgia's Supreme Court where she became the first woman and the youngest person ever to sit on that court. She retained her seat on the state's Supreme Court by winning a statewide election in the fall of 1992, making her the first woman to win a contested statewide election in Georgia. She was sworn in as Chief Justice of Georgia's Supreme Court on June 28, 2005.