HON. RALPH HICKS
EDUCATION: Georgia Tech (BS in Industrial Engineering), worked as an Engineer for two years before entering law school); Naval ROTC; Georgia State University; Emory Law School (LLB & J.D.); Graduate of the National Judicial College.
BAR ADMISSION: 1960
LEGAL EMPLOYMENT & EXPERIENCE: Practiced law in Atlanta for 18 years; Partner in firm now known as Smith, Gambrell & Russell; tried cases in all courts; rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell; Teacher at Atlanta Law School; appointed Superior Court Judge in 1978 - presided over approximately 200 jury trials of civil cases.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Atlanta Bar Association, President, 1978; Executive Committee Member of the Atlanta Bar Association, 1971-1977; Member State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors, 1978-1988; Lawyers Club of Atlanta; Law School Adjunct Professor, Civil Litigation; Retired Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve.
MEDIATION/ARBITRATION TRAINING: Special Order from the Supreme Court of Georgia, Judge Hicks has been a neutral arbitrator/mediator in disputes involving construction contracts, personal injury claims, claims by policy holders against their insurance carriers, as a result of lightning/storm damage to residential & commercial buildings, Landlord/tenant disputes, etc.; has acted as Chief Arbitrator on panels with two other arbitrators. While Judge of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, 1985, he instituted the first arbitration and mediation practices in Fulton Superior Court; has served as Settlement Conference Judge in the Georgia Court of Appeals.
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CASES HANDLED: 400+
AREAS OF EXPERIENCE: Business Law; Personal Injury; Real Estate; Workers Compensation; Family Law; Medical Malpractice; Aviation; Construction; Insurance Law; Product Liability; Consumer Law; Trust & Estates; Labor & Employment; Banking