Judge Alvin T. Wong, Georgia’s First Asian American Judge and Legal Pioneer

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.