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Appeals court judge delivers talk on judicial system to TFS seniors
Bringing to life career opportunities for Tallulah Falls School seniors is a highlight during the academic year.
On Nov. 20, Georgia Court of Appeals Court Judge Brian R. Rickman spoke to two classes of seniors in the school’s chapel.
Judge Rickman shared his thoughts about the legal profession, telling students he was initially interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice, perhaps working as a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent.
He changed course after spending time serving in a DA’s office, subsequently attending the University of Georgia School of Law.
Rickman has experience working in private practice and serving as an assistant DA before being appointed District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit in 2008. During his time as DA, the office handled about 2,000 cases per year, including 16 murder cases. He was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2015, taking office in January 2016.
Rickman stressed the importance of the judiciary’s role as independent and free of influence. He asked students why should they care about the judicial system.
“What happens if we don’t have that system?” Rickman asked.
“Chaos,” was the answer.
“Chaos is bad for business,” Rickman countered.
He encouraged students interested in studying law to pursue that path.
“We need good, honest, hard-working people in the legal system,” Rickman said. “You’ve got character and you want to do the right thing.”
He also said those not planning a career in law would need a working knowledge of the legal system, with few areas not impacted by the law.
“Even if you don’t want to work in the law, you need to know the system,” he said.
Another reason to appreciate the judicial system is to understand better what it means to be a juror, he said.
“At the end of the day in this country, we pick 12 citizens...who are not related to a party in the case…so they can be objective...that’s who ultimately decides,” he said. “It’s still the best system that I’ve seen. We need to have jurors who are educated.”
He acknowledged the discord in the current political climate and told students the future was in their hands.
“It’s nastier now that I’ve ever seen it, no matter what side you fall,” he said. “I encourage you guys to be ones who are civil, respectful and try to fix that and not fall in the political fire. [To] be able to engage in civil debate with people; to be able to talk to people you have differences of opinion with.”
After the event, Rickman commented on student engagement.
“Speaking to seniors at TFS has become a highlight that I look forward to,” he said. “This year, I was particularly impressed with the depth of the questions the students asked, which reflected an excellent understanding of the role of the judiciary in the legal system.”
Upper School history teacher Dallas Barron said having community leaders speak to students extends the classroom experience.
“Judge Rickman brought a piece of the legal system to life by speaking with our students,” Barron said. “His experiences and insight provided our students with a wonderful learning opportunity that helped them make a personal connection with the content covered in class.”
Student feedback:
Hannah Harkness
Judge Rickman was a prime example of an honest and hard-working public servant. It was inspiring to see how loyal Judge Rickman was to upholding justice no matter what. I can confidently say Judge Rickman will do the right thing for our community, state, and government.
Josh Shanks
I enjoyed getting to see the personal side of a judge, especially at his high-ranking role. Although Judge Rickman had witnessed the absolute worst in people, he continues to be accepting and joyful. It was very nice seeing how he can separate his work and personal lives.
Samuel McAllister
I believe the presentation Judge Brian Rickman produced was informative about both the Georgia Court of Appeals and the state judicial branch in general. I enjoyed learning about the fragility of a case, and how if there is a mishap that infringed on the rights of the guilty, then the said guilty party is allowed to appeal to a higher court to protect his/her constitutional rights.