Judge Alvin T. Wong, Georgia's First Asian American Judge and Legal Pioneer | See You In Court Podcast

See You In Court

Today on the podcast, Robin and Lester interview Judge Alvin Wong, Georgia’s first Asian American judge.

Guest Bio

Judge Wong came to Richmond, Va. from Hong Kong when he was 14. His father

enrolled him at Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro, Va., shook his hand

and said he’d “see him next summer.” He followed a classmate from Fishburne to

Auburn University without even knowing where it was. He graduated early and

moved to Atlanta. He started taking night classes at John Marshal Law School and

passed the Georgia Bar in 1976. He hung out a shingle and worked as a trial lawyer

and then was a partner at Gambrell & Stolz (now Baker Donelson) for 20 years.

Judge Wong was elected to the State Court of DeKalb County in 1999 and since

his election in 1999, he’s been reelected, unopposed, to six consecutive terms. With

his election in 1999, he became the first Asian American judge in Georgia history.

At that time, Asians made up less than two percent of registered voters in DeKalb

County.

In 2004, Judge Wong co-founded a DUI court to help people, calling it one

of the most rewarding things he’s done. He also sits on the board of the Lifeline

Animal Project, a nonprofit that helps turn Atlanta animal shelters into no-kill

shelters. He also brings to the courthouse Coco, a dachshund-chihuahua mix he

rescued a decade ago. Jurors love to meet her after the trial is over.

Judge Wong was elected by his peers in 2021 as president of the Georgia

Council of State Court Judges, overseeing the entire state. His election marked the

first time an Asian American served as president of any judicial council in Georgia.

In 1993, Judge Wong and Professor Natsu Saito of Georgia State University

Law School combed the State Bar Directory to find 10 attorneys to start an Asian

American Bar Association. Today, the Georgia Asian Pacific Bar Association

(GAPABA) has 750 members. In 2014, GAPABA named its top prize the “Judge

Alvin T. Wong Pioneer Award”. It is given in his honor to a lawyer who

demonstrates leadership to pave the way for the advancement of APA attorneys. He

is the recipient of the 2017 Traditions of Excellence Award presented by the

General Practice and Trial Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He received the

2022 Randolph Thrower Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the

Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession of the State Bar of Georgia.

Judge Wong serves the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional

Responsibility – Judges Advisory Committee and as a Fernbank Museum of

Natural History trustee and NAPABA (the National Asian Bar) Law Foundation

board member, mentoring future leaders as co-director of its Thomas Tang

National Moot Court Competition.