A Rise to Justice

Westminster alumna Carla Wong McMillian has been selected to serve on the Supreme Court of Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp recently announced.

Judge McMillian, a member of the Class of 1991, credits the faculty and staff at Westminster, among others, for her rise to the Supreme Court.

“Westminster provided an excellent education in a supportive, loving family environment,” McMillian said. “I would not be in the position that I am in today without Westminster in my life.”

Judge McMillian’s rise to the Supreme Court comes after serving seven years on the Court of Appeals of Georgia. Born and raised in Augusta, she will become the first Asian-American female in the Southeast to be appointed to the state's highest court.

Prior to joining the Court of Appeals, McMillian served as the State Court Judge for Fayette County, a position to which she was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2010.  In 2012, the voters of Fayette County overwhelmingly elected her to a full term after a contested election.

Before her appointment to the bench, McMillian was a partner in the litigation group of the national law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP. Her practice centered on complex business litigation, including a heavy emphasis on appellate matters. In particular, she argued cases before the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Louisiana Court of Appeals. Before joining Sutherland, McMillian had the privilege of beginning her legal career as a federal law clerk for the Hon. William C. O’Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

McMillian attended law school as a Woodruff Scholar at the University of Georgia School of Law. She also graduated with high honors from Duke University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in both History and Economics. She graduated from Westminster as valedictorian of her class. Westminster honored McMillian in 2010 with its Distinguished Alumni Award.

McMillian is the oldest of five children, all of whom are Westminster graduates. She has been married since 1997 to her husband Lance, a professor at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. They have two children and live in Fayette County. They are long-time members of Dogwood Church, where McMillian has served as a small group leader for adult, women’s, and children’s small groups.