Tiffany Johnson Confirmed as Federal Judge for Northern District of Georgia

Following her confirmation by the U.S.last week, Tiffany Johnson became the fifth federal judge in Georgia appointed by President Joe Biden.  At 37 years old, Johnson will replace U.S. District Judge Steve Jones in the Northern District of Georgia, which covers 46 counties and includes courthouses in Atlanta, Rome, Newnan, and Gainesville. Judge Jones, who has served in the district for years and oversaw significant cases such as the City Hall corruption trials, will transition to senior status in 2025.

Johnson, an assistant U.S. attorney in Northern Georgia since 2017, shared with the Senate Judiciary Committee in September that being nominated for the role was “the honor of my life.” She credited her parents, both military veterans, for inspiring her dedication to public service. “If you ask 100 people what they believe the American dream is, I would wager you would get 100 different answers. If you ask me, as a first-generation college student, I’d say sitting here today as a judicial nominee qualifies,” she said during her testimony.

Biden appointed Johnson for the federal judgeship in July. She is the third judge appointed by the president to the Northern District of Georgia, joining Victoria Calvert and Sarah Geraghty, both of whom were nominated and confirmed in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Johnson’s confirmation further aligns with Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary. Four of his judicial appointees in Georgia—Calvert, Abudu, Kidd, and Johnson—are Black, fulfilling his promise to bring greater representation to the bench.

Her confirmation process was smooth, receiving support from 48 senators, mostly Democrats and independents, though Republicans largely voted against her. Johnson’s qualifications and temperament were praised by experts like Carl Tobias, a law professor specializing in federal judicial selection. He noted that her confirmation was notable for proceeding without significant controversy, a rarity in today’s polarized environment.

Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Johnson was a litigation associate at the law firm Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs in Atlanta. She earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2012, after completing her undergraduate studies at Princeton University in 2009.

Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who recommended Johnson for the nomination, celebrated her confirmation. “Tiffany Johnson’s temperament, discernment, and legal wisdom are exemplary,” said Warnock, adding that Georgians in the Northern District will be well-served by her dedication to the law and her community.