The Hon. Jeffrey A. Watkins is a judge for the Cherokee Judicial Circuit Superior Court in Georgia. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Brian Kemp on June 3, 2019, filling a vacancy created by the passing of the Hon. Carey Nelson.
The Cherokee Judicial Circuit is composed of Bartow County and Gordon County.
Prior to his appointment, Watkins was a sole practitioner in his own private practice, a law firm he opened in 2014. He specialized in business law, civil and commercial litigation, real estate and probate law, and zoning and land use matters.
Watkins earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He then completed a J.D. at Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law.
After graduating from law school, Watkins entered into private practice, working as an associate at Moore, Ingram, Johnson & Steele in Marietta. During his tenure there, he was assigned to the litigation and insurance defense department, rising through the ranks to become a senior associate. Then, in 1998, he became a founding member of White, Choate, Watkins & Mroczko.
His memberships have included the Bartow Rotary Club, the Cartersville-Bartow County Bar Association, the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Georgia Highlands College Foundation.
Watkins was born and raised in Cartersville, Georgia.