June 3, 2025
As published by Georgia Trend Magazine
The announcement of your retirement as Chief Justice received a considerable amount of coverage. What motivated your decision to return to private practice, and how did you decide on the path you’re taking now?
In deciding to leave public office after 25 years, I was motivated to return to my home in South Georgia and resume helping people in my community. The work of an appellate judge is certainly rewarding but can be insulating. I was excited to join HunterMaclean, a firm with a wonderful reputation assisting clients throughout Georgia and beyond. Equally important to me was that the firm’s lawyers have a demonstrated commitment to community service—an aspect of lawyering critical to our profession.
What skills or insights from your time on the bench do you believe will be most valuable to clients in private practice?
I’ve been honored to serve at the highest levels of Georgia’s legislative and judicial branches for over 25 years, building lasting relationships with dedicated professionals along the way. My service has deepened my appreciation for the distinct functions of each branch and the essential role that lawyers play.
My experience drafting and passing laws as a legislator, followed by 21 years interpreting them as a trial and appellate judge—including service as chief justice—has given me a unique perspective and experience with a broad array of legal issues, which I hope to use to effectively advise clients on legal and policy matters that matter most to them.
What excites you most about returning to private practice—and what, if anything, will you miss about your time on the bench?
I will deeply miss my colleagues and the many friendships formed during my time as a judge. Serving alongside such exceptional judges and professionals in what I believe is the nation’s finest state judiciary has been a true honor.
I’ll also miss the opportunity to shape Georgia’s legal landscape and lead on critical issues affecting the administration of justice—from securing funding for access-to-justice programs to advancing judicial security, reducing backlogs, closing civil justice gaps, and improving outcomes for children. These initiatives not only improve lives but also help build public trust in our judicial system.
That said, I am truly excited to return to the practice of law and to have a closer connection to the people that I can help, both as a lawyer and through continued public policy work and community service—a bit of a contrast to appellate judicial service. I always enjoyed that aspect of lawyering, where you can see the difference your service makes in the lives of those we serve.
I am also looking forward to opportunities to continue mentoring young lawyers and promoting the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. My work on the Supreme Court, including bar disciplinary matters, reinforced for me the vital role professionalism plays in sustaining public trust in our legal system.
As I move forward, I am grateful for the lessons, relationships, and deep sense of purpose that have defined my judicial service—and I am excited by this new chapter and the opportunities ahead with HunterMaclean.
After nearly three decades of public service—including his tenure as Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court—Michael J. Boggs has returned to his roots in South Georgia and joined HunterMaclean. He can be reached at 912.262.5996 or mboggs@huntermaclean.com.
