Inside the chief justice’s chambers at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center, Kennesaw State University memorabilia is displayed on a shelf. These items belong to Nels S.D. Peterson, an alumnus who became chief justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court in December.
Peterson now leads Georgia’s highest court, where he and his colleagues meet regularly to decide on up to 100 cases during sessions that last several hours. As chief justice, Peterson is responsible for guiding discussions and writing many opinions.
“We put an enormous amount of effort into every word of an opinion. It takes time to think through all the potential implications,” said Peterson ’01, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, selected in a unanimous vote of his colleagues.
He describes the work as highly collaborative. “Every case is a nine-person group project,” he said. “That dynamic is virtually different from any other job.”
Peterson explained his approach to the position: “I think it’s critically important to remind the public and all the stakeholders of the judicial system what the core of the work is, and it’s deciding cases impartially through the application of neutral legal standards that apply equally to everybody,” he said. “It’s just that consistent, nonheadline-grabbing, day-in and day-out grind of the work that is critical to the proper functioning of the rule of law.”
In addition to overseeing legal opinions, Peterson manages administrative duties and works with other branches of state government on policy and budget issues. He also chairs the Judicial Council, which develops policies for improving courts.
“It is always a great honor to be asked to do something like this by your colleagues, because it’s a role that is absolutely critical to the proper functioning of the rule of law and civilization,” Peterson said.
Outside his official duties, Peterson continues family activities such as cooking for his wife and children and attending church weekly. He also maintains interest in constitutional research and writing.
Peterson began his judicial career at Georgia’s Court of Appeals in 2016 after serving as executive counsel for then-Governor Sonny Perdue, solicitor general for Georgia’s Attorney General’s Office, and vice chancellor for legal affairs at the Board of Regents for Georgia’s university system.
As a Supreme Court justice starting in 2017, Peterson managed rulemaking processes affecting lawyers and judges statewide during periods such as remote proceedings caused by COVID-19. Later responsibilities included serving as liaison with the State Bar of Georgia.
Peterson credits much of his success to staying present in each role: “An enormously important thing about any kind of success in life is being focused on where you are,” Peterson said. “It’s hard sometimes to be present in what you’re doing, but if you’re not present in the job you’ve got now, you’re not going to do as well.”
A resident of Marietta, Peterson graduated from Kennesaw State with a political science degree before attending Harvard Law School. His leadership experience at KSU included roles such as president of Student Government Association (SGA), chairing advisory councils, and receiving recognition as Student of the Year.
Kerwin Swint, political science professor at KSU who taught Peterson in several classes described him: “Nels was always a star,” said Kerwin Swint. “You know right away when you have him in your class and the minute he starts talking or asking questions, you realize this is an incredibly bright and talented individual.”
Swint recalled that John Fuchko—now president at Dalton State College—was among Peterson’s close friends from their time together at KSU; both were homeschooled students who advocated successfully for less restrictive admissions policies for homeschoolers within Georgia’s university system.
“Nels was instrumental in getting the Board of Regents to change their policies around home school admissions and to make us more competitive as a system to recruit students from varied educational backgrounds,” Fuchko said.
Fuchko added about Peterson: “What strikes me about Nels is he’s not a flashy guy, not self-aggrandizing in any sort of way,” he said. “I’m sure he would tell you he struggled with pride as much as the next person, but he really seeks out humility and a servant’s heart in how he approaches things. I think he’d tell you his faith is a big piece of that.”
