“It’s an art, it is not easy, and it is consequential.” That is how Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs described the essence of drafting sound and effective public policy. He made these comments during a visit to Georgia State University College of Law while speaking to law students in the Legislative Drafting Seminar.
“It is precisely because Chief Justice Boggs has served in the General Assembly and as a judge that I thought he would be able to offer a distinct viewpoint,” said Derrick Alexander Pope, adjunct professor at the College of Law and instructor of the seminar. “His first-hand knowledge of, and front-row seat in both of those venues, gave the students a rarely seen peek into the connection between making laws and interpreting laws.”
Jazmin Mejia (J.D. ’26), a student in the course who is currently interning at the Georgia State Capitol, walked away with more than just a peek. “Hearing from Chief Justice Boggs about his experiences interpreting laws underscores the importance of clear and well-crafted legislation. Every day, while summarizing bills at the Capitol, I see firsthand how crucial it is to have precise and comprehensive laws.”
Law students listened to a discussion led by Chief Justice Boggs in their Legislative Drafting Seminar.
Students in the class were treated to a nearly one-hour exchange with the state’s top jurist. His presentation covered a variety of topics ranging from the volume of bills the Georgia General Assembly works through each session including bills that are light-hearted in nature and others with far more substantive importance.
“You would be surprised how many times someone introduces a bill to outlaw unsweetened tea in Georgia,” Chief Justice Boggs explained. But it was his emphasis on the protection of rights in the Georgia Constitution, and how it offers greater protections than the United States Constitution, that caught the ear and attention of John Jennings. (J.D. ’26).
"Hearing Chief Justice Boggs speak to the power of Georgia’s Constitution underscores the vital role a state government can play in protecting citizens' rights. This reinforced for me that, particularly during periods of federal uncertainty, the strategic use of state authority is not only a viable but also a necessary means of upholding democratic principles and protecting individual rights and freedoms."
The Chief Justice was eager to take questions from the students and he fielded inquiries on the benefits of professionalizing the state legislature, the paucity of legislative history in the state, and the daunting search for legislative intent when parsing the meaning of statutes. Among the more interesting exercises he said he has encountered are the “times when I have had to interpret the meaning of bills that I drafted – even when I knew what the intent was.”
“I really appreciated Chief Boggs’ willingness to have a candid conversation with the students about the challenges he has experienced both while drafting and interpreting Georgia laws,” said Celine Guenther (J.D. ’25).
Naturally, a visit to a course on legislative drafting would not be complete without a unique moment. Professor Pope drafted and the students signed a resolution making the Chief Justice an honorary member of the class, and proclaiming February 11, 2025 as the “Honorable Michael P. Boggs Legislative Drafting and Statutory Interpretation Day at Georgia State University College of Law.” “Hopefully”, says Pope, “this consequential piece of drafting art will find a home in his chambers.”
- Written by Derrick Alexander Pope, Georgia State University College of Law Adjunct Faculty and Instructor