Blackwell, Dillard get Appeals Court judgeships
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Wednesday appointed Atlanta lawyer Keith Blackwell and Macon lawyer Stephen Louis Dillard to fill vacancies on the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Both Blackwell and Dillard are members of the governor's Judicial Nominating Commission. The vacancies on the 12-member appellate court were created by the retirement of Judge Alan Blackburn and the death of Judge Debra Bernes.
Blackwell is a partner with Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs in Atlanta and once served as an assistant district attorney in Cobb County. He received his bachelor of arts and law degrees, both summa cum laude, from the University of Georgia.
Dillard chairs the appellate practice group with the Macon firm James Bates Pope & Spivey. He received his law degree cum laude from the Mississippi College of Law and his bachelor of arts degree from Samford University.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
