Atlanta, January 7, 2021 – Shawn Ellen LaGrua was officially sworn in today to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, beginning Jan. 19, 2021. Gov. Brian Kemp appointed the Fulton County Superior Court judge to the state’s highest court on Dec. 1, 2020 to the seat vacated by Justice Keith R. Blackwell, who retired in November. This morning, the governor swore her in at his office in the State Capitol. Chief Justice Harold D. Melton was among those in attendance.
Judge LaGrua has served on the Fulton County Superior Court since 2010. Prior to becoming a judge, she was Inspector General for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. She also served as Solicitor General for DeKalb County and was a prosecutor in the Atlanta, Stone Mountain, and Tallapoosa judicial circuits. In May 2020, Chief Justice Melton appointed Judge LaGrua to chair the Judicial COVID-19 Task Force, which was created to assist courts in conducting remote proceedings and prepare for the eventual restoration of in-person proceedings.
“Judge LaGrua – soon to be Justice LaGrua – already has put her stamp on the courts of Georgia, both as an outstanding jurist for Fulton County and more recently as the head of the COVID response team for Georgia’s court system,” Chief Justice Melton said. “My colleagues and I are delighted by her appointment and look forward to having her join our Court.”