Gail S. Tusan '78

Gail S. Tusan '78 has joined the panel of JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services. Tusan brings 35 years of judicial service in various Georgia jurisdictions to her practice at JAMS. Most recently, she retired from her sixth elected term as a superior court judge in Fulton County. During her time on superior court, Tusan served two successful terms as chief judge and played an active role in the design and launch of the Family Division, where she also served for over a decade.

Based in the Atlanta Resolution Center, Tusan will serve as a mediator, arbitrator and special master in a variety of practice areas, including business/commercial, construction, employment, family law, insurance, medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability and premises liability.

“Judge Tusan has earned a reputation for building consensus during disputes,” said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO. “She brings an extensive background with her to JAMS, and we’re looking forward to having her join the panel in Atlanta.”

Tusan regularly presents educational programs to the judiciary, attorneys and law students on a variety of legal issues, especially those in the family law sector. She has received multiple awards, including the Leah Ward Sears Award for Distinction in the Profession from the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys in 2009, the Atlanta Bar Association Professionalism Award in 2016, and the Empowerment Summit Trailblazer Award from the Gate City Bar Association in 2018. She was presented with the prestigious Logan E. Bleckley Award for Judicial Excellence by the Atlanta Bar Association’s Litigation Section on May 8, 2019, at its annual Bench and Bar Reception.

“Throughout the years, I’ve overcome personal and professional challenges of all kinds, which have made me a better judge and person enabling me to engineer positive outcomes in the courtroom and foster productive dialogue in the boardroom,” Tusan said. “I’m passionate about helping others, especially in this community that I have served for so many years. I’m looking forward to this next step in my journey.”

Tusan received her B.A. from UCLA in psychology and earned her J.D. from George Washington University School of Law.