Beverly Martin, President Barack Obama’s nominee for the federal appeals court, is a fourth-generation lawyer who has authored a number of notable rulings as a U.S. District Court judge in Atlanta.

She penned a blistering dissent in an excessive-use-of-force case and declared a mandatory 30-year prison sentence unconstitutional on grounds it was cruel and unusual punishment.

Lawyers who appear before Martin say she has a fierce determination to do what she thinks is right and say she has a quality Obama says he wants in his judicial nominees: empathy. The Senate will vote on her confirmation Jan. 20

In Wednesday's AJC, we'll tell you Martin's story and how she doesn't flinch in the face of controversy.

About the Author

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo