ATLANTA – Cordele Judicial District Superior Court Chief Judge Robert W. Chasteen Jr. of Fitzgerald has been selected as a recipient of the 19th annual Justice Robert Benham Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service, presented by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism.

Since 1998, these awards have recognized judges and lawyers from the 10 judicial districts across

Georgia for their outstanding contributions in the area of community service. The Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for a lawyer or judge who has demonstrated an extraordinarily long and distinguished commitment to volunteer participation in the community throughout his or her legal career.

These honorees have served a wide range of community organizations, government-sponsored activities, and humanitarian efforts outside of their professional practices and judicial duties.  Their fields of service include: youth athletics and mentoring programs, literacy programs, social services, church and religious activities, politics, promotion and support for legal aid programs, community development, education, sports, recreation, and the arts.  These awards recognize the commitment of Georgia lawyers to volunteerism, encourage all lawyers to become involved in community service, improve the quality of lawyers’ lives through the satisfaction they derive from helping others, and raise the public image of lawyers.  All honorees are members of the State Bar of Georgia.

Chasteen will be recognized Feb. 27 at the State Bar of Georgia Conference Center, 104 Marietta St. NW in Atlanta.