The Hon. Samuel D. Ozburn was awarded the 2025 Outstanding Alumnus/Alumna Award during the Mercer Law School Alumni Dinner on March 8 at the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta. Also recognized during the annual event were The Hon. Sara L. Doyle, ’94, who received the Meritorious Service Award, and Maj. Wesley Watts, ’22, who was presented with the Young Alumnus/Alumna Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Outstanding Alumnus/Alumna Award is given to alumni who have served the profession of law in an outstanding manner and, in so doing, brought honor to themselves and Mercer Law School. This award is presented for service to humanity and dedication, which have fostered the ideals of the School of Law. Ozburn is the 40th recipient of the award dating back to 1983.
Ozburn served as chair of the Council of Superior Court Judges’ Court Security Committee from its creation in 2000 until his retirement. He was a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Court Emergency Management Committee and the AOC Ad Hoc Committee on Court Security for Georgia Municipal Courts. Ozburn served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia by special designation in 2005 and has spoken at continuing education seminars sponsored by the Newton County Bar Association, the Walton County Bar Association, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and the State Bar of Georgia.
Prior to joining the bench, he spent his legal career in private practice. He began as an attorney at Ballard, Thigpen & Griffin in Covington before becoming a partner at Ballard, Ozburn & Stephenson in 1977. Then in 1979, he became a sole practitioner, which continued until his appointment. His area of practice included corporate law, domestic relations, real property and personal injury matters. Ozburn is a past president of the Alcovy Circuit Bar Association, the Kiwanis Club of Covington, and Newton County Mental Health Association.
He sat on the boards of directors for Mercer Law School, the Homer F. Sharp Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce, and the Covington-Newton County Recreation Commission. He has been on the board and served as chair of the Salvation Army of Newton County since 1981.
Ozburn is the recipient of the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia (2011), the R.O. Arnold Award from the Newton County Chamber of Commerce (2013), and the first annual Community Spirit Award from the Covington News (2018).
Doyle was honored with the Meritorious Service Award, presented to an alumnus or alumna of the School of Law who has demonstrated support of the Alumni Association and the Law School through the contribution of time and gifts.
Doyle was elected and took office on the Georgia Court of Appeals on Jan. 1, 2009. From July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2017, Doyle was the court’s chief judge. She was instrumental in implementing a historic jurisdiction shift of cases from the Supreme Court, the addition of a new fifth division adding three more judges to the court, and funding and design of the new Nathan Deal Judicial Center. Doyle has also sat by designation on the Supreme Court of Georgia and on Georgia’s Statewide Business Court. She is currently a presiding judge.
She began her legal career as a civil litigator with Wilson, Strickland & Benson, P.C. Just prior to taking office, she was an equity partner with the national firm Holland & Knight, LLP, where she practiced law with a focus on education issues. As a practicing attorney, Doyle was selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer from 2004 to 2008, and in 2006 and 2008, was named one of the top 50 female attorneys in Georgia. She has also been recognized as one of Georgia’s legal elite by Georgia Trend Magazine.
Doyle is involved in many professional, civic and religious organizations. She served on Mercer University’s Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2020, on the law school’s Board of Visitors from 2012 to 2015, and is a current member of the Mercer Law Foundation board. In 2021, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the Atlanta Bar Association and the YLD Distinguished Judicial Service Award from the State Bar in 2020.
She is married to fellow Mercer Law graduate Jay Doyle, ’94, and has two children: Mary Donovan, 17, and Davis, 14. In addition to her work on the bench, Doyle is known for her Christmas decorating, as well as her love for the soft drink Tab and the Florida Gators.
Watts was presented the Young Alumnus/Alumna Volunteer of the Year Award recognizing a young alumnus or alumna of the School of Law who has provided valuable service and selfless commitment to enhance the experience of Mercer law students.
Since graduating, Watts has been a dependable and frequent volunteer at the law school. While stationed at Robins Air Force Base, he was often called on to advise and present to Mercer Law’s Student Veterans Association. He has served on panels for the Black Law Students Association and was an alumni advisor to its leadership team. He participated in prospective student events like Accepted Student Night. In addition to his on-campus work with student organizations, Watts has met with students interested in a possible career in the military.
Currently, Watts serves as a special trial counsel for the Air Force. In this role, he represents the United States as lead counsel in the investigation and prosecution of covered offenses pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 801(17) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other offenses over which the office exercises authority. These offenses are mainly major violent victim crimes and make up the most complex litigation in the Air Force. The Air Force’s Office of Special Trial Counsel reports directly to the secretary of the Air Force with no intervening authority. In this role, he also provides leadership, mentorship and training to junior trial counsel around the world. From 2015-2019, Watts was directly responsible for the maintenance and employment of more than 140 combat-coded aircraft valued at more than $12 billion and was responsible for the leadership of more than 1,000 troops. In 2019, he was one of four Air Force officers nationwide selected to the United States Air Force’s Funded Legal Education Program where only a select few get the chance every year to pursue a legal education while remaining on active duty.
At Mercer Law, Watts was a member of the Brainerd Currie Honor Society and received the Cali Award in 2022 for the highest grade in advance trial practice.
Watts was unable to attend the dinner to accept his award in person because his wife had just given birth to their first child. Dean Sneddon accepted the award in his honor.
