Georgia legal community mourns loss of Judge Marvin Arrington Sr.

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To the Editor:

On behalf of the State Bar of Georgia, I am writing to extend condolences to the family, colleagues and many friends of retired Fulton County Superior Court Judge and former Atlanta City Council President Marvin S. Arrington Sr. after his passing at the age of 82.

A Georgia Bar member since 1970, Judge Arrington was first elected to the Atlanta City Council, then known as the Board of Aldermen, in 1969. He became city council president in 1980. In 1989, he joined civil rights attorney Donald L. Hollowell in the formation of the Arrington and Hollowell law firm. He was appointed as a Fulton County Superior Court judge in 2002 by then-Gov. Roy Barnes and retired from the bench in 2012.

Having been one of the first African-American graduates of Emory Law School, Judge Arrington also served as chair of the Emory Advisory Committee of Black Alumni. At the time of his passing, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said of Judge Arrington, “Atlanta has lost a lion. I cannot, at this moment, think of a single person who loved Atlanta more than he loved us.”

Thirty years ago, Judge Arrington and then-State Bar President Charlie Lester established the State Bar of Georgia Diversity Program. Its mission is to provide support to and to promote the inclusion of and advocate for the advancement of all Bar members. That program continues to provide value for our members today.

Judge Marvin Arrington will be missed and fondly remembered by his fellow members of Georgia’s legal community. We appreciate his dedication and the many contributions he made through his service to the public and the justice system.

Sincerely,
 
J. Antonio “Tony” DelCampo
President, State Bar of Georgia