The School of Law recently bestowed the Distinguished Service Scroll Award – the Law School Alumni Council’s highest honor – on Michael B. “Mike” Terry (J.D.’87) and Justice Carla Wong McMillian (J.D.’98) for their outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school. Additionally, Andrew Z. Smith (J.D.’17) received the Young Alumni of Excellence Award.
Terry, a proud Double Dawg, is currently a partner at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, where he handles cases including high-stakes class actions, civil trials and appeals. He was a member of the plaintiff teams for the three largest verdicts in Georgia history.
Terry received the State Bar of Georgia Tradition of Excellence Award in 2024 and was named “Lawyer of the Year” for the state of Georgia by the Daily Report and American Lawyer Media in 2021.
The Law School Alumni Council honored three alumni at a luncheon this spring. They are pictured here with their award presenters: (l. to r.) University Professor Emeritus Dan Coenen, Distinguished Service Scroll Award recipient Justice Carla Wong McMillian (J.D.’98), Young Alumni of Excellence Award recipient Andrew Smith (J.D.’17), Dean Usha R. Rodrigues, Director of Advocacy Kellie Casey (J.D.’90), Distinguished Service Scroll Award recipient Mike Terry (J.D.’87) and Jason Carter (J.D.’04). Photo by Justin Evans.
Throughout his career, Terry has served the legal community in several capacities, including nearly 20 years as a member of the Atlanta Bar Association’s board, where he was president from 2010 to 2011. He also served six years in the ABA’s House of Delegates and spent a decade on the State Bar of Georgia Board of Governors. Terry is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Jason Carter (J.D.’04), a fellow partner at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, presented Terry with his award.
McMillian currently serves as a justice on the Georgia Supreme Court, having been appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2020. A native of Augusta, Georgia, she is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the highest court of a state in the southern United States.
Previously, McMillian served on the bench of the Georgia Court of Appeals and the State Court for Fayette County. Before joining public service, she was a partner in the litigation group of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan.
After graduating from law school, she served as a judicial clerk for Judge William C. O’Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
McMillian was a Woodruff Scholar at the School of Law. She completed her undergraduate education at Duke University, where she graduated with honors.
She is currently a member of the law school’s Board of Visitors.
University Professor Emeritus Dan T. Coenen, her former professor and mentor, gave McMillian her award.
Smith is a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig with a focus on commercial litigation and dispute resolution. In this role, he advises a wide array of clients – from Fortune 500 companies to small entrepreneurs – on complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution.
Though early in his career, Smith has frequently been honored for his contributions to his community. A member of Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 list and a Rising Star in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Leaders in Corporate Citizenship list, he also was shortlisted for the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America Future Leader honor.
He is an active member of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, where he has served on the National Leadership Council since 2022.
Smith also formerly served on the board of trustees for Quality Care for Children, and he is a previous president of the School of Law’s Young Alumni Council.
Kellie R. Casey (J.D.’90), director of advocacy and mentor to Smith, presented his award at the ceremony.
