Kemp appoints appellate judge to Georgia Supreme Court

“Judge Land has earned the respect of his peers and hardworking Georgians through his commitment to fairness and impartiality, his strong work ethic, and his integrity,” Kemp said. “His extensive experience as a former litigator and judge will make him a valuable addition to the Supreme Court as he continues his service to the people of our state.”

Credit: www.judgebenland.com

Credit: www.judgebenland.com

Kemp had appointed Land to serve on the Georgia Court of Appeals in July 2022. He was elected unopposed in 2024 to a six-year term on the court.

Most judicial races are nonpartisan. Land will have to run for election in May 2026, a spokesperson for the Georgia secretary of state’s office said Thursday.

His appointment comes six months after he and two colleagues ruled in January that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can’t revive part of her racketeering case against President Donald Trump and more than a dozen others.

In December, Land opposed those same colleagues when they ruled that Willis and her office should be disqualified from the 2020 election interference case because of her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Willis has asked the state Supreme Court to review the case. That request is pending.

Generally, state justices don’t participate in cases they’ve had prior involvement in. They decide whether to review cases by majority vote.

Before joining the Georgia Court of Appeals, Land served as a superior court judge in the six-county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit in west Georgia.

Land was welcomed to the state Supreme Court by the chief judge, who said Land’s background and experience position him well to serve on the state’s highest court.

“My fellow justices and I look forward to working with him,” Peterson said Thursday.

Land spent almost 26 years as a private practice attorney in Columbus before becoming a judge. He focused on complex civil litigation, representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of cases.

Kemp said Land obtained several record-setting verdicts and played a key role in the defense of multiple nationwide class actions as an attorney. He said Land has demonstrated a commitment to his profession and his community by serving in a variety of volunteer positions.

Land graduated from the University of Georgia in 1989 and its School of Law in 1992, according to his profile on the Georgia Court of Appeals website. While in law school, he clerked for the state Supreme Court.

Land’s elevation creates an open seat on the appellate court.

When there’s a judicial vacancy in Georgia, the governor gets recommendations from the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission, which receives and reviews nominations and applications.

Land was appointed by Kemp to serve on the commission in December. When commission members are also applicants, they typically recuse themselves from the recommendation process.

Land’s brother, Clay Land, is a federal judge in Middle Georgia.