Carol Hunstein was forced to learn the values of hard work, discipline and dedication from an early age.  The first in her family to ever attend college, she has built a distinguished record during her more than 27 years as a judge.  Unaffiliated with any political party, she has wide support among both Democrats and Republicans who admire her skill, independence and fairness.

Born into humble circumstances, Carol contracted polio when she was two, survived her first bout of bone cancer at age four, and lost her mother at age 11.  Her adolescent years were marked by frequent hospitalizations for cancer.  Carol’s father discouraged his six children from pursuing an education beyond high school.   She married at 17, became a mother at 19, and was abandoned by her husband by age 22. That same year, Carol lost a leg to cancer and was told by doctors she had only a year to live. 

Struggling to find work to support herself and her son, Carol soon realized the value of an education. She went to college on a state vocational rehabilitation scholarship and to law school on the Social Security benefits she received after her former husband died. There were times when Carol could not afford to eat.  Remarrying before graduating from law school,  Carol soon had two daughters. 

She opened a private law practice in Decatur in 1977, helping ordinary people and trying all kinds of cases – civil, criminal and domestic.  Spurred on by a county judge who repeatedly called her “little lady” in open court, Carol decided to run for the bench.  She defeated four men and in 1984 became the first woman elected to the DeKalb County Superior Court.  She was reelected four years later.

While Carol was on the trial bench, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as President of the Georgia Council of Superior Court Judges.  She also chaired the Georgia Commission on Gender Bias in the Judicial System, which, among things, instigated the creation of local domestic violence task forces and triggered a change in the law so that rape complainants no longer faced the indignity of having to pay for their own rape evidence kit. 

Governor Zell Miller appointed Carol Hunstein to the Georgia Supreme Court in 1992.  She was only the second woman in the state’s history to serve on our highest court.  She has twice run unopposed for reelection. During her 14 years as a justice, Carol has participated in over 5000 cases and authored more than 600 opinions.  She is widely regarded by lawyers who study the court as one of its hardest working members, a model of fairness and impartiality, and a judge who adheres strictly to the rule of law.  She is particularly known for being tough on repeat criminal offenders, dead beat dads, purveyors of domestic violence, and lawyers who have violated criminal and ethical laws.

Chief Justice Hunstein has achieved national stature based upon the quality of her work and character.  In 1999, the American Bar Association conferred on her the Margaret Brent Award, its highest honor for women lawyers.  Others who have received the award include United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a judge with whom Carol Hunstein is often compared.  She also has been honored by the Georgia legislature, Stetson University, the State Bar of Georgia, and other organizations. 

Carol Hunstein lives in Decatur, Georgia.  Her three children are all grown.  She has one grandson.