According to a news release on the Cobb County website, Superior Court Judge Sonja N. Brown was honored for her dedication to volunteerism during the 25th Annual Justice Robert Benham Awards for Community Service, held on April 15, 2025.

Benham was a Georgia Supreme Court justice who served for over 30 years before retiring in 2020. At the bottom of this article, see a video of Benham speaking about the awards bearing his name.

The awards recognize members of the State Bar of Georgia who have made meaningful contributions to their communities, highlighting the positive impact lawyers can have beyond their professional duties. In addition to two lifetime achievement recipients, four other honorees from across Georgia were recognized at the ceremony.

Judge Brown has served as a Cobb County Superior Court judge since January 1, 2023. Prior to that, she was a full-time Cobb Magistrate Court judge. She remains active in a variety of philanthropic efforts, including her role on the Board of Directors for the Tommy Nobis Center. She is also a long-time supporter of Covenant House Georgia and has participated in its annual Sleep Out: Executive Edition event each year since 2014 to raise awareness of youth homelessness. In 2020, she chaired the organization’s fifth annual Sleep Out: Women Unite!

“I am truly honored to have received this award,” said Judge Brown, quoted in the news release. “Justice Benham is such a wonderful example of how to serve your community, and to be counted alongside him and these other wonderful honorees is humbling.”

Judge Brown said she enjoys serving Cobb County both in and out of the courtroom and encourages fellow members of the legal profession to engage in community service efforts.

Her legal career includes roles as a DeKalb County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, a DeKalb County Deputy Chief Assistant Solicitor-General, and a Fulton County Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney. She began her legal career as a paralegal and contracts administrator and later became staff counsel at Convergent Media Systems Corporation in Alpharetta.

Brown holds a Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, a Master of Arts in Christian Practice from Duke Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University. She has cited her role as an aunt to her two nieces and four nephews as her most cherished position.