William B. Hill, Jr.

William B. Hill, Jr., or "Hill" as he prefers to be called, concentrates his practice on commercial and complex litigation, with a particular emphasis on products liability, Lanham Act, and employment defense. Hill also regularly serves as mediator and arbitrator in a variety of commercial and civil rights disputes. Prior to joining Rafuse Hill & Hodges on February 13, 2004, Hill was a partner with Lawrence Ashe and Nancy Rafuse at an international 800-attorney law firm.

Prior to 1995, Hill served as a Judge on the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia, which is the highest level trial court in the state. As a Superior Court Judge, Hill presided over both civil and criminal cases. Prior to serving as Superior Court Judge, Hill served as a State Court Judge for the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia. As a State Court Judge, Hill presided over civil matters, and misdemeanor criminal matters.

Before his tenure on the bench, Hill worked for thirteen years with the Georgia Attorney General's Office, where he served in many capacities, including Deputy Attorney General, supervising the operations of one-third of the office, and Director of the Criminal Division. Hill was the youngest Division Director in the history of the Attorney General's Office. Hill was also the first African-American attorney to represent the State of Georgia in the United States Supreme Court, where he argued and won the case of Burger v. Kemp.

Hill has tried products liability, Lanham Act and employment cases successfully in numerous state and federal courts throughout the country, and is known as much for his engaging and good-natured courtroom demeanor as he is for his dynamic and hard-hitting trial skills.  In 2005 alone, Hill tried four jury trials and two arbitrations, all to successful results for his clients.  Hill has lectured in the areas of civil litigation and criminal law, and has testified on numerous occasions before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and the Georgia Legislative Judicial Committee. Hill has also served on an American Bar Association Task Force on Federal Habeas Corpus Reform.

For almost a decade Hill was a member of the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Committee.  He is a past member of the Board of Trustees for Washington & Lee, the Board of Trustees for the Atlanta History Center, and a past member of the Board of Trustees of Pace Academy. Hill is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Pipeline Program, an adjunct at Emory University School of Law, and the chair of the Atlanta Legal Aid Annual Fund.

Hill and his wife Melba, a 1978 graduate of Hollins College, are the proud parents of two daughters, Melba Kara Hill, a 1999 graduate of Washington & Lee University, and Morgan Kristopher Hill, a 2007 graduate of Washington & Lee University, a 2010 graduate of Harvard Law School, and a 2011 graduate of the Middlebury College Language School.

Representative Experience

• Concentration of practice is in commercial and complex civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on products liability, Lanham Act, and employment defense.
• Regularly serves as mediator and arbitrator in a variety of complex commercial, employment, medical and civil rights disputes.
• Named as a “Georgia Super Lawyer” for 2004 thru 2011 by Atlanta Magazine.
• Has tried products liability, Lanham Act customer discrimination and employment cases successfully in numerous state and federal courts throughout the country.
• 2002, recognized by the National Law Journal in its “Verdict of the Week” section and as having won one of the top 20 defense verdicts in 2002.
• Former Judge on the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia, which is the highest level trial court in the state. As a Superior Court Judge, presided over both civil and criminal cases (1992-1995).
• Prior to serving as a Superior Court Judge, served as a Judge on the State Court of Fulton County, Georgia. As a State Court Judge, presided over civil and misdemeanor criminal matters (1990-1992).
• Before tenure on the bench, served for thirteen years in the Georgia Attorney General’s Office in many capacities, including Deputy Attorney General, supervising the operations of one-third of the office, and six years as Director of the Criminal Division. Served as the youngest Division Director in the history of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, and was also the first African-American attorney to represent the State of Georgia on oral in the United States Supreme Court, successfully arguing and winning the case of Burger v. Kemp.

Professional Organizations and Memberships

• Past member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Committee on Standards of the Profession.
• Past member of the State Judicial Nominating Committee which screens judicial applicants to compile the “short-list” provided to the Governor from which a judicial appointee is named (1995-2000; 2003-2010).
• Past member of the Northern District Federal Disciplinary Committee.
  
• Member of the Georgia Chief Justice’s Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution. (1994-2002).
  
• Atlanta Bar Association- Advisory Board of Directors (1989-1992).
  
• Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation Board of Directors (Past Member).
  
• Atlanta Bar Association “Task Force Juris,” Committee on Judicial Reform (Past Member).
  
• Mission New Hope/Chairperson on Judicial Issues for the Creation of a Diversionary Drug Court in Fulton County, Georgia (Past Member).
  
• Past member of the Northern District of Georgia’s Bar Council which serves as the federal court’s advisory board with respect to adopting new, or making changes to the local rules of procedure and operational issues.
• Current member of the Board of Directors of the Law Pipeline Program.
• Adjunct at Emory University School of Law (2007- present).

Civic Involvement and Leadership

• Chair of the 2011 Atlanta Legal Aid Annual Campaign (present).
  
• Washington & Lee University Board of Trustees (1999-2009).
  
• Washington & Lee University Law Council (1995-1999).
  
• Washington & Lee University Atlanta Alumni Chapter President (1995).
  
• Washington & Lee University Atlanta Alumni Chapter Treasurer (1994).
  
• Washington & Lee University Atlanta Alumni Chapter Secretary (1993).
  
• Washington & Lee University Atlanta Alumni Chapter Board of Directors (Past Member).
  
• Pace Academy Board of Directors, Board of Trustees (1994-1999).
  
• Kiwanis Club of Atlanta (1991-1997).
  
• Leadership Atlanta (Class of 1991).
  
• Leadership Georgia (Class of 1988).
  
• Founding Member Board of Directors, Georgia Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.).
  
• State Commission on Domestic Violence (Past Member).
  
• Atlanta History Center, Board of Trustees (Past Member).