Diane E. Bessen

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Diane E. Bessen

Nonpartisan

Fulton County State Court

Tenure

Present officeholder

Term ends

2029

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

May 21, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Emory University, 1979

Law

Emory University, 1986

Diane E. Bessen is a judge of the Fulton County State Court in Georgia. Her current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Bessen ran for re-election for judge of the Fulton County State Court in Georgia. She won in the general election on May 21, 2024.

Biography

Education

Bessen received a B.A. in 1979 and a J.D. in 1986 from Emory University.

Career

• 2002-Present: Judge, Fulton County State Court
• 1995-2002: Judge, Fulton County Magistrate Court
• 1996-2001: Judge hac vice, City Court of Atlanta
• 1992-2000: Sole practitioner
• 1986-1992: Attorney, McGinn, Webb & Warner

Awards and associations

Awards

• Unsung Hero Award, Anti-Defamation League
• Professionalism Award, Atlanta Bar Association
• Champion of Justice Award, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association

Associations

• Member, Board of Governors of State Bar of Georgia
• Co-editor, Atlanta Bar Association, The Atlanta Lawyer
• Member, Statewide Judiciary E-Filing Steering Committee
• Member, Fulton County Courts’ Joint Governance Committee
• Adjunct professor, Medical Malpractice Litigation, Emory University School of Law
• Member, Judicial Council Committee on Technology
• Member, Judicial Council Cyber Security
• Fellow, Lawyers’ Foundation of Georgia
• Member, Council of State Court Judges
• Member, Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta
• Member, North Fulton Bar Association
• Member, Sandy Springs Bar Association
• Member, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers
• Member, Georgia Association of Black Women Lawyers
• Member, Lamar Inn of Court
• Past chair, Judicial Section of Atlanta Bar Association
• Past chair, E-File Committee of State Bar of Georgia
• Former delegate, American Bar Association National Council of State Trial Judges
• Former member, New Courts Commission, State Bar of Georgia
• Former member, Legislative Advisory Committee, State Bar of Georgia

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Fulton County, Georgia (2024)

General election

General election for Fulton County State Court

Incumbent Diane E. Bessen won election in the general election for Fulton County State Court on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diane E. Bessen (Nonpartisan)	100.0	92,775

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,775
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bessen in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Fulton County, Georgia (2020)

General election

General election for Fulton County State Court

Incumbent Diane E. Bessen won election in the general election for Fulton County State Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diane E. Bessen (Nonpartisan)	100.0	178,404

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 178,404
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Diane E. Bessen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Diane E. Bessen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Footnotes

Georgia courts

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Federal courts:

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia

State courts:

Georgia Supreme Court • Georgia Court of Appeals • Georgia Superior Courts • Georgia State Courts • Georgia Business Court • Georgia Tax Court • Georgia Juvenile Courts • Georgia Probate Courts • Georgia Magistrate Courts • Georgia Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Georgia • Georgia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Georgia