Atlanta, November 1, 2021—The Supreme Court of Georgia welcomes its 2021-2022 class of term law clerks.

Term law clerks serve for one year, assisting their assigned Justices with legal research, drafting and reviewing opinions, preparing for oral arguments, and other important responsibilities.

The 2021-2022 class of term clerks consists of high-caliber law school graduates from Georgia and out-of-state law schools, including four former and future federal court clerks, legal publication editors, and Moot Court competitors and champions. They also include a former Teach for America corps member, a certified public accountant, a drum major, a former assistant public defender, and an extreme sports enthusiast.

Now in its fourth year, the Court’s term clerk program allows Georgia’s highest court to invest in the future leaders of the Georgia bar, as well as in the state’s appellate practice, through an intensive year of legal research and writing. Some of this year’s term clerks graduated recently from law school, while others have come to the Court after one or more years of work in the legal profession.

“Our hope is to give new lawyers valuable, hands-on experience so they may be better positioned for careers in appellate practice,” Chief Justice David E. Nahmias said. “We also hope these lawyers will go on to share the skills and knowledge they acquire during their clerkship with their fellow practitioners to bolster the expertise and preparedness of appellate attorneys throughout Georgia.”

Meet the 2021-22 class:

  • Matthew Cavedon, a graduate of Emory University School of Law, is clerking for Justice Nels S.D. Peterson. He previously clerked for Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia and worked as an assistant public defender for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. Originally from Berlin, Conn., Cavedon earned his undergraduate degree in religion from Harvard University and his Masters of Theological Studies from Emory University.
  • Tyler Fabbri, a cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, is clerking for Justice Verda M. Colvin. Fabbri, a first-generation college student from Chesterton, Ind., taught middle school in Memphis, Tenn., as a Teach for America corps member prior to law school. While at UGA Law, he was inducted into the Order of Barristers and competed on the Moot Court team, being named a national semi-finalist. He earned his undergraduate degree in English from Loyola University Chicago.
  • Michael Foo, a magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University College of Law, is clerking for Justice Shawn Ellen LaGrua. Foo, who was born in Singapore but grew up in Marietta, Ga., earned undergraduate degrees in international affairs and broadcast journalism from the University of Georgia. While an undergraduate, he was a drum major for the Redcoat Marching Band, and during law school, he served on the editorial board for the Georgia State University Law Review and was president of the Asian American Law Students Association.
  • Cameron Keen, a cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, is clerking for Justice Charlie Bethel. He previously completed externships in Justice Peterson’s chambers and at the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia’s Solicitor General’s Unit. Keen, of Dublin, Ga., earned his undergraduate degrees in political science and international affairs from UGA, where he was the Student Government Association President. During law school, he was a National Online Moot Court finalist and editor-in-chief of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.
  • John Lex Kenerly IV, a cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, is clerking for Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren. He previously clerked for Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Kenerly, of Jesup, Ga., holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting from the University of Alabama and UGA, respectively, and worked as a certified public accountant for PwC. During law school, he served on the editorial board of the Georgia Law Review and was president of the school’s Federalist Society chapter. Kenerly was also the first UGA law student to argue a case before the Supreme Court of Georgia and won the 2020 National Moot Court Competition.
  • Leila Knox, a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, is clerking for Justice Carla Wong McMillian. During law school, she served on the editorial board of the Georgia Law Review. She also earned her undergraduate degree in public relations from UGA, and she counts extreme sports—having been skydiving, bungee jumping, and shark cage diving—among her interests.
  • Lucy Ratchford, who graduated with high honors from Emory University School of Law, is clerking for Chief Justice David E. Nahmias. Previously, she worked as an associate at King & Spalding and clerked for Judge Karon O. Bowdre of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Ratchford, of Sandwich, Mass., earned her undergraduate degree in letters, with a concentration in constitutional studies, from the University of Oklahoma. During law school, she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and named a Robert W. Woodruff Fellow.
  • Chandler Ray, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, is clerking for Presiding Justice Michael P. Boggs. Following this clerkship, he will clerk for Judge Elizabeth Branch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Ray, of Grayson, Ga., was a champion of both Vanderbilt Law School’s 1L Intramural Mock Trial and 2L Intramural Moot Court competitions, as well as president of his school’s Federalist Society chapter. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Georgia.

The Supreme Court of Georgia’s term clerk program began in 2018 with the support of the Georgia General Assembly. Each Justice hires his or her own one-year term clerks.