Civil rights lawyer to join federal bench in Atlanta

Thanks to last week’s confirmation of civil rights attorney Sarah Geraghty, the U.S. District Court in Atlanta will soon have its full complement of judges.

With a Senate vote of 52-48, Geraghty becomes President Joe Biden’s second nominee to join the 11-member court. The Senate approved Victoria Calvert in March, with a 50-46 vote. 

Since 2003, Geraghty has been a lawyer with the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta. She was named “Attorney of the Year” by the Daily Report, an Atlanta legal publication, and given the “Legal Legend” award by the American Constitutional Society in 2020. 

Cases she litigated include challenging unfair bail policies, private probation practices, open records law violations, and inhumane prison and jail conditions. Emory University School of Law gave Geraghty the “Unsung Devotion to Those Most in Need Award” in 2017. 

GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine joined the 50 Democrats in the Senate for a bipartisan vote in favor of Geraghty.