Retired Chief Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Herbert Phipps will be recognized by the Albany office of the Georgia Legal Services Program during the group’s Special Friends for Justice recognition event March 16.

The Friends for Justice ceremony will be held at the Merry Acres Events Center starting at 5:30 p.m.

“We are thrilled to recognize our esteemed guest of honor, retired Chief Judge Herbert Phipps, for his past 17 years as a member of the Georgia Court of Appeals and his 45 years as a champion for civil rights,” Georgia Legal Services program Executive Director Phyllis Holmen said in a news release.

The evening’s ceremonies will include a tribute delivered by Dougherty County Circuit Superior Court Chief Judge Willie Lockette. Live music will be provided by the Southern Arts Music Ensemble, and guests will be served catered hors d’oeuvres and have access to a cash bar.

Georgia Legal Services’ mission is to provide civil legal services for persons with low incomes, creating equal access to justice and opportunities to remove themselves from poverty. The Albany office serves a population of 80,000 people who live in poverty in 31 surrounding Southwest Georgia counties.

“Our work creates access to our civil justice system for persons who are most vulnerable in our communities,” said Cheryl Griffin, who has served as the managing attorney for GLSP’s Albany office for the past 10 years.

Georgia Legal Services does not handle criminal cases, and its services — including advice and counsel, legal representation, special projects, educational programs and emergency legal services to families displaced by natural disasters — are provided at no cost.