Harold D. Melton, who previously served as the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, has been named the holder of the Carl E. Sanders Chair in Political Leadership at the University of Georgia School of Law. Established in 2002, the Sanders Chair in Political Leadership is named for Georgia’s 74th governor and 1948 School of Law alumnus Carl E. Sanders.
Melton, a 1991 graduate of the School of Law, is currently a partner at Troutman Pepper. He was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in 2005 and served as chief justice from 2018 to 2021. Before joining the court, he served as executive counsel to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. Melton is a graduate of Auburn University in Alabama, where he was the first African American to serve as student body president.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to go in depth with future lawyers on the nuances of governmental law, a topic that I love,” Melton said. “I am especially thrilled to be able to do so at my alma mater; it is an honor to hold a chair endowed by one of Georgia’s most esteemed governors and a founding partner in the firm where I now practice.”
