Justice Andrew A. Pinson was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2022 by Governor Brian Kemp.
Justice Pinson was born in DeKalb County, Georgia, and grew up in Lithonia and Lawrenceville. In middle school, he moved to Lincolnton, and he graduated from Briarwood Academy in Warrenton.
Justice Pinson is a “Double Dawg” with a Finance degree from the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business and a law degree from the University of Georgia’s Lumpkin School of Law. He graduated at the top of his class in law school, and while in school, he interned with the Office of Executive Counsel for the Governor, Jones Day in Atlanta, and Fortson, Bentley, & Griffin in Athens.
After graduating from law school, Justice Pinson began his career in public service as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for Chief Judge David B. Sentelle, and then at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Clarence Thomas. While in D.C., he also practiced law at Jones Day. After his clerkships, he returned to Georgia to continue his practice at Jones Day, where he handled a broad range of matters in both trial and appeals courts.
Justice Pinson returned to public service in 2017 when he joined the Office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. The next year, he was appointed Solicitor General of Georgia. As Solicitor General, he led the State’s appellate and multistate litigation practice. He personally handled high-profile and complex appeals, including in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and several other courts in Georgia and across the country. And he oversaw matters of special importance to the State in all phases of litigation, including the successful defense of the State’s water resources in the critical “water wars” litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2021, Justice Pinson was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp as a Judge on the Court of Appeals of Georgia, and a year later, the Governor appointed him to the Supreme Court of Georgia.
Justice Pinson has served on a number of non-profit boards and commissions, and he has received awards for his service as an attorney and judge, including the State Bar YLD’s Distinguished Judicial Service Award in 2023. Justice Pinson and his wife Sara Beth live just north of Tucker in DeKalb County. Sara Beth earned a Ph.D. in Poultry Science from the University of Georgia and now works for a software company and as a professional dog trainer. They enjoy hiking in the North Georgia mountains and playing dog sports like Frisbee and agility with their three dogs (Nimbus, Goomba, and Elphie).