Sears, Jospin Recognized For Careers Winning 'Justice For All'

ATLANTA — A pair of Buckhead legal giants have been recognized by the Anti-Defamation League for their distinguished careers practicing law and using the law to make a difference in the community.

Justice Leah Ward Sears, the first woman to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court, was given the ADL 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award for a career dedicated to pursuing justice. Attorney Walter Jospin was the recipient of the Elbert P. Tuttle Award, given each year to a lawyer who best exemplifies the ADL mission to “secure justice and fair treatment for all.”

Sears and Jospin, along with Emerging Leader Award winners Ana Maria Martinez and Scott Zweigel, were honored this month at the 24th Annual Anti-Defamation League Awards. Both Jospin and Sears have dedicated a great deal to those in need, ADL leaders said.

“Justice Sears has a long and rich tradition of giving back to the community and investing in active mentorship,” Southeast Regional Board Chair Bernard Taylor said.

Robin Sangston, the event co-chair said Jospin was a glowing reflection of the ideals of Tuttle, the late U.S. Court of Appeals chief judge.

“His career exemplifies the values that Judge Tuttle personified — public service, promotion of fundamental civil and human rights for all, and a pursuit of law for a higher purpose,” Sangston said.

Sears, a partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, sat on the Georgia Supreme Court for 17 years, serving four of those years as Chief Justice. Among her firsts, she was the first woman to serve as a Superior Court judge in Fulton County and the first woman elected statewide in Georgia.

Being a Black woman just added to the obstacles she overcame, Sears noted.

“The theme of my life as I look back at it … it’s been about breaking down barriers,” she said. “If you’re born in 1955 and you’re Black and you’re female, when women were kind of stifled and Black people were very much stifled, the theme in your life is if you know you have talent and you want to go anyplace, it has to be about breaking down barriers of hate.”

Jospin’s day job as a partner with Finch McCranie focuses on SEC whistleblower claims, among other things.

“I think I got the award because of my long history in leading social justice organizations,” the 68-year-old Jospin said, calling the award, “really the greatest honor.”

He is the former director of Atlanta’s Regional U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission office but has devoted considerable time to leading nonprofits including the Georgia Innocence Project, Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and the Georgia Legal Services Foundation.

“I was able to have a good legal career and also do some good,” Jospin said, pointing specifically to his work with the Innocence Project. “We were able to get a number of exonerations of men who were convicted unjustly. That was the most meaningful.”