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Judge Samuel D. Ozburn honored with Mercer Law School’s 2025 Outstanding Alumnus Award
judge ozburn mercer award
Judge Samuel D. Ozburn (right) and Mercer Law School Board of Directors President Tanya D. Jeffords (left). - photo by Contributed Photo
Staff Report
Updated: Mar 17, 2025, 5:30 PM
Published:

On Saturday, March 8, Judge Samuel D. Ozburn, Mercer University 1976 graduate, was awarded the Mercer University Law School 2025 Outstanding Alumnus Award. The honor was presented by Dean Karen J. Sneddon and the Mercer Law Alumni Association Board of Directors at the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta. 

The Outstanding Alumnus/Alumna Award is given to an alumnus/alumna of the School of Law who has served the profession of law in an outstanding manner, and in so doing, has brought honor to his/her person and to the School of Law. This award is presented for service to humanity and dedication which have fostered the ideals of the School of Law. Ozburn is the 40th recipient of the award dating back to 1983.

Appointed in 1995 by former governor Zell Miller, Ozburn served as a judge for the Alcovy Judicial Circuit Superior Court in Georgia until his retirement in 2020. He had been elected to six terms and ran without opposition. 

During his judicial tenure, Ozburn created a mental health court — the Newton County Resource Court — and a program that allows school-age children to visit and learn about the courts within the Alcovy Judicial Circuit. He also established a literacy program that helps criminal defendants earn their GED. Upon Ozburn’s retirement, Governor Brian Kemp appointed him to be a Senior Superior Court Judge.

Ozburn served as chairman of the Council of Superior Court Judges’ Court Security Committee from its creation in 2000 until his retirement. He was a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Court Emergency Management Committee and the AOC Ad Hoc Committee on Court Security for Georgia Municipal Courts. 

Ozburn served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia by special designation in 2005 and has spoken at continuing education seminars sponsored by the Newton County Bar Association, the Walton County Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the State Bar of Georgia.

Before joining the bench, Ozburn spent his legal career in private practice. He began as an attorney at Ballard, Thigpen & Griffin in Covington before becoming a partner at Ballard, Ozburn & Stephenson in 1977. 

In 1979, Ozburn became a sole practitioner which continued until his appointment. His area of practice included corporate law, domestic relations, real property and personal injury matters. 

Ozburn is a past president of the Alcovy Circuit Bar Association, the Kiwanis Club of Covington and Newton County Mental Health Association,

Ozburn has sat on the boards of directors for Mercer Law School, the Homer F. Sharp Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce and the Covington-Newton County Recreation Commission. He has been on the board and served as Chairman of the Salvation Army of Newton County since 1981.  

Ozburn is the recipient of the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia (2011), the R.O. Arnold Award from the Newton County Chamber of Commerce (2013) and the first annual Community Spirit Award from The Covington News (2018).
Annual Prayer Breakfast Rescheduled
Kelvin J. Cochran
Speaker Kelvin J. Cochran. - photo by Contributed Photo
Staff Report
Published: Mar 17, 2025, 5:33 PM

The annual community prayer breakfast has been rescheduled to April 11 at 7:00 a.m. at the Turner Lake Recreation Complex. The speaker will be Kelvin J. Cochran who currently serves as senior fellow and vice president for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), where he is responsible for overseeing the Leadership Development Program and Prayer Initiative Team and speaks at ADF events to engage and promote ADF’s mission to defend religious liberty. He also supports ADF’s Church and Ministry Alliance by working to increase its partners. 

Cochran dedicated over 30 years of his life to fighting fires and protecting the communities in which he has lived and worked. After being born into extreme poverty in Shreveport, La., he worked his way up the ranks and became Shreveport’s fire chief in 1999 where he served until he was appointed fire chief for the city of Atlanta, Ga. in 2008.

Cochran’s exemplary service record drew the attention of President Barack Obama, who appointed Cochran as the administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration in 2009, the highest office in his profession. He resumed his post as Atlanta Fire Chief in 2010.

Prior to his role at ADF, Cochran served as chief operating officer of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta. He is the author of two books, a sought-after public speaker and is an advocate for religious liberty and unity of the body of Christ.

The public is invited to this event which is hosted each year by the Kiwanis Club of Covington and Covington Rotary Club. Its purpose is to unite the community in truth and love and to provide a unique opportunity to assemble and pray together for our leaders, churches, and each other.