Sears named as possible Souter replacement

Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears’ name has popped up as a potential nominee to succeed retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter.

Sears, 53, describes herself as a judicial moderate. But court watchers say she has long been one of the state Supreme Court’s most liberal members.

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Kimberly Smith/ksmith@ajc.com

Leah Ward Sears

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• Souter retiring
• Replacement possibilities

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On Friday, Sears declined comment on speculation she could eventually be a high court nominee.

“Justice Sears believes it would be inappropriate to talk about any process that’s going on,” court spokeswoman Jane Hansen said. “She has no comment.”

Last year, Sears announced she was stepping down from the state Supreme Court to pursue other interests. She will retire when her term as chief justice expires at the end of June.

Throughout much of her life, Sears has broken numerous gender and racial barriers. In 2005, she became the nation’s first African-American woman to preside over a state Supreme Court.

Sears was born in Heidelberg, Germany, where her father was stationed.

After attending a number of schools as a young girl, Sears graduated from Savannah High School. There, she caused a stir when she became the school’s first black cheerleader. She received her undergraduate degree at Cornell University and her law degree from Emory University in 1980.

In 1982, only 27 at the time, Sears was named Atlanta traffic court judge. She served as a Fulton County Superior Court judge — and was the first black woman to sit on that court — before Gov. Zell Miller appointed her to the Georgia Supreme Court in February 1992. At that time, Sears was the first African-American woman and youngest justice ever to serve on the state’s high court.