Biography

As a third generation lawyer and a second generation Superior Court Judge, Bryant Culpepper has a lifetime of experience with law and the courts. First elected to the Georgia General Assembly at age 26, he served as a member of the House Judiciary Committee for eight years. He was then elected in 1982 to the office of Superior Court Judge for the Macon Judicial Circuit, a position in which he served for over 24 years. During his seven terms as judge, he presided over hundreds of cases involving numerous types of civil litigation, including contracts, domestic relations, real estate, personal injury, malpractice and products liability to name just a few.

After retiring from the bench in 2007, Judge Culpepper returned to the practice of law. Since then, he has devoted a significant portion of his practice to dispute resolution, as both as an arbitrator and mediator, and has been successful in obtaining settlements in numerous cases.

As chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Child Placement Project, Judge Culpepper helped secure the passage of House Bill 182, which greatly improved juvenile justice in Georgia.

Judge Culpepper serves as an adjunct professor of law at the Mercer University School of Law in the area of dispute resolution, and coaches the school’s negotiation competition team.

Judge Culpepper served as chairman of the Fort Valley Downtown Development Authority for many years, and recently headed the effort to restore the historic Austin theater. He retired with the rank of Colonel from the U. S. Army Reserves and the Georgia Army National Guard as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Judge Culpepper serves as a member of the Board of the Community Foundation of Fort Valley. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Fort Valley United Methodist Church, former Chairman of the Administrative Council, and teaches the Aldersgate Sunday School class.

Education

  • B.S., Auburn University, 1969
  • J.D., Mercer University, 1972
  • Phi Alpha Delta
  • President, Student Bar Association

Admitted

  • Georgia, 1972
  • United States District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia
  • United States Supreme Court
  • Supreme Court of the State of Georgia
  • Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia

Professional Organizations/Activities

  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Georgia
  • Macon Bar Association
  • Served as Administrative Judge of the 3rd Judicial District and a member of the Georgia Judicial Council from 2002–2004
  • Chairman, County and Municipal Probation Advisory Council
  • Chairman, Georgia Supreme Court Child Placement Project
  • Chairman, Probation Advisory Council of the Council of Superior Court Judges

Speaking Engagements

  • Urgent Legal Matters Seminar–ICLE, 2011
  • State Bar of Georgia Annual Meeting – Amelia Island, Florida,  2005
  • Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, Athens, GA, Council of Superior Court Judges, 2002
  • Council of Juvenile Court Judges, 2000
  • State of Maine Criminal Justice Sentencing Institute, 1993
  • South Dakota Unified Judicial System, 1987

Awards & Recognition

  • Law & Public Service Award, Mercer University School of Law, 2007
  • Amicus Curiae Award, Georgia Supreme Court, 2000
  • Georgia Supreme Court Award for Distinguished Public Service, 2000
  • Georgia Juvenile Court Judges Friend of Children Award, 1982
  • Leadership Georgia, 1982
  • Gridiron

Practice Areas

  • Arbitration
  • Mediation
  • Litigation

Administrative/Legal Assistant Contact Information

Name: Mardi Gillespie
Title: Legal Assistant
Phone: 478.749.9918
Email: mgillespie@jamesbatesllp.com