KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 4, 2025

Inside the chief justice’s chambers at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center sits a shelf adorned with Kennesaw State University memorabilia — miniature football helmets, a stuffed bear, mugs, and awards. These tchotchkes belong to alumnus Nels S.D. Peterson, who in December assumed a lead role in Georgia’s highest court.

It is also in this room, among others at the judicial center, that Peterson bears the weighty responsibility of precedents that will shape the law for years.

“We put an enormous amount of effort into every word of an opinion. It takes time to think through all the potential implications,” said Peterson ’01, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, selected in a unanimous vote of his colleagues.

Every couple of weeks, Peterson and his fellow justices gather around a conference table and decide the fate of up to 100 cases over the course of three to five hours. As chief justice, Peterson steers the ship and writes many of the opinions.

“Every case is a nine-person group project,” he said. “That dynamic is virtually different from any other job.”

This level of meticulous care feeds into his philosophy as the new chief justice.

“I think it’s critically important to remind the public and all the stakeholders of the judicial system what the core of the work is, and it’s deciding cases impartially through the application of neutral legal standards that apply equally to everybody,” he said. “It’s just that consistent, nonheadline-grabbing, day-in and day-out grind of the work that is critical to the proper functioning of the rule of law.”

A career with impact

Peterson’s new schedule includes administrative work, meetings that involve collaboration with the other branches of state government, and budget matters. Also, there continues to be a significant amount of reading and writing, which usually takes place at night or on the weekends, when there are fewer distractions.

As chief justice, he also chairs the Judicial Council, a group that develops policies to improve the courts.

“It is always a great honor to be asked to do something like this by your colleagues, because it’s a role that is absolutely critical to the proper functioning of the rule of law and civilization,” Peterson said.

Despite his busy workload, Peterson still manages to do most of the cooking at home for his wife and two children. He attends church each Sunday, leading Sunday school once a month. He also keeps his passion for interpreting the Georgia Constitution alive with research and writing.

Peterson’s entry into judgeship was on the Court of Appeals of Georgia in 2016, coming after stints as the executive counsel for then-Gov. Sonny Perdue, as solicitor general for the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, and as vice chancellor for legal affairs for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Early on in his tenure as justice in 2017, Peterson oversaw the rulemaking process for lawyers and judges of the Supreme Court and all the classes of trial courts, a particularly challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic with remote proceedings. He was later tasked with serving as the court’s liaison to the State Bar of Georgia, an arm of the court that regulates around 55,000 lawyers licensed to practice in Georgia.

While he has had a winding career in law, Peterson has worked to be present in each role. That, he says, has led to his success.

“An enormously important thing about any kind of success in life is being focused on where you are,” Peterson said. “It’s hard sometimes to be present in what you're doing, but if you're not present in the job you’ve got now, you’re not going to do as well.”

KSU shapes future chief justice

The Marietta resident graduated from Kennesaw State with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and because of the leadership experience he gained as an undergraduate, he was accepted into Harvard Law School.

Originally a computer science major at KSU, Peterson took an introductory course to political science his freshman year. His lack of interest in math and his involvement in the Student Government Association (SGA) led to a degree change.

While at Kennesaw State, Peterson served as president of the SGA, chair of the Student Advisory Council to the Board of Regents, and was named KSU Student of the Year and Outstanding Senior in Political Science.

“Nels was always a star,” said Kerwin Swint, political science professor at KSU. “You know right away when you have him in your class and the minute he starts talking or asking questions, you realize this is an incredibly bright and talented individual.”

Swint remembers Peterson, who took many of his classes, as part of a high-achieving cadre of students that includes John Fuchko, president of Dalton State College and longtime friend of Peterson. As family friends, both with a background as homeschooled students, Peterson and Fuchko have known each other since they were toddlers.

At KSU, Fuchko was one year ahead and served as president of the SGA before Peterson took over the role. Together, with an eye for fairness, they also successfully advocated to the Board of Regents and the governor to adopt less onerous admissions requirements for homeschooled students.

“Nels was instrumental in getting the Board of Regents to change their policies around home school admissions and to make us more competitive as a system to recruit students from varied educational backgrounds,” Fuchko said.

Fuchko said Peterson’s career hasn’t been a surprise, that he’s gone about each role in a thoughtful way, with concern.

“What strikes me about Nels is he's not a flashy guy, not self-aggrandizing in any sort of way,” he said. “I'm sure he would tell you he struggled with pride as much as the next person, but he really seeks out humility and a servant’s heart in how he approaches things. I think he’d tell you his faith is a big piece of that.”

– By Amber Perry

Photos by Darnell Wilburn Jr.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.