This article reflects on issues of race over Judge Clarence Seeliger’s 40-year career on the bench and 50 years as a Georgia lawyer. This article reflects Seeliger’s conversation with Charles Bailey and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

When I ran for office in 1980 against DeKalb State Court Judge J. Oscar Mitchell, it wasn’t because I wanted to be a judge. I was just mad as hell and wanted him to be gone.