Wayne M. Purdom

Professional career

• Before his appointment, he was a DeKalb County Magistrate since 1983, later becoming chief judge of the magistrate court.
• Former judge of the DeKalb County State Court in Georgia, appointed by former Governor Zell B. Miller in 1998 and elected in 2020

Education

Additional information

• He left his judicial office on January 1, 2025 after his term ended
• In 2009, he received the Ogden Doremus Award from the Council of State Court Judges
• He also worked in private legal practice in Decatur, Georgia, from 1977 to 1984
• He is admitted to the Georgia Bar (1977) and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, Decatur–DeKalb Bar Association, and Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
• DeKalb County State Court bench for over two decades, presiding over a wide range of cases, including torts, personal injury, and automobile accident matters.
• Purdom was recognized for his legal scholarship, annually updating key Georgia judicial resources such as the Georgia Civil Discovery, Georgia Magistrate Court Handbook, Magistrate Court Benchbook, and State Court Benchbook.
• He served on the Benchbook Committee and Strategic Planning Committee for the Council of State Court Judges, and was a key figure in developing Georgia’s standards for foreign language interpreters.