[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/view-from-the-bench\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/view-from-the-bench\/","headline":"Butler Kahn Attorney Matt Kahn Interviews Judge for GTLA\u2019s \u2018Verdict\u2019 Magazine","name":"Butler Kahn Attorney Matt Kahn Interviews Judge for GTLA\u2019s \u2018Verdict\u2019 Magazine","description":"The Summer 2021 issue of Verdict, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association\u2019s magazine, featured an interview of Judge Diane Bessen written by Matt Kahn. Kahn is an attorney with Butler Kahn, an Atlanta-based personal injury practice. The interview was the first installment of \u201cView from the Bench.\u201d The series is a new feature of the GTLA\u2019s&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/view-from-the-bench\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Butler Kahn Attorney Matt Kahn Interviews Judge for GTLA\u2019s \u2018Verdict\u2019 Magazine<\/span><\/a>","datePublished":"2021-08-27","dateModified":"2026-04-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/butler\/#Person","name":"Jeb Butler","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/author\/butler\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f5a02bc71d91db5fc8645f129c4424ce6ef7af7e24fe54f4a85315a9dd28f317?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f5a02bc71d91db5fc8645f129c4424ce6ef7af7e24fe54f4a85315a9dd28f317?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Butler Kahn","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Butler-Law-Firm-Logo.png","width":210,"height":93}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bio-matt-kahn.jpg","url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/bio-matt-kahn.jpg","height":445,"width":427},"url":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/view-from-the-bench\/","about":["Lawyers"],"wordCount":254,"articleBody":"The Summer 2021 issue of Verdict, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association\u2019s magazine, featured an interview of Judge Diane Bessen written by Matt Kahn. Kahn is an attorney with Butler Kahn, an Atlanta-based personal injury practice.The interview was the first installment of \u201cView from the Bench.\u201d The series is a new feature of the GTLA\u2019s Verdict magazine that spotlights trial and appellate judges from across Georgia.In his Q&amp;A with Judge Bessen, Kahn posed a series of cordial questions to the Fulton County State Court Judge. The interview focused on Judge Bessen\u2019s background as a lawyer and judge, as well as her personal interests and her advice to practicing attorneys.The interview revealed how Judge Bessen found her way onto the bench without a \u201cmaster plan\u201d to do so. When Kahn asked her what advice she would give to her younger self, she said, \u201cI would say expect the unexpected. I never imagined I would end up as a judge, but when opportunities present themselves, be open to paths you never could have imagined.\u201dOn a personal note, Judge Bessen\u2019s love of cooking became evident during the exchange. When Kahn asked her what she would do if she weren\u2019t in the legal profession, she replied, \u201cEven today, my husband and I joke about retiring to some Caribbean island and opening a beach bar. I would work the kitchen and he\u2019d schmooze with the clientele. It wouldn\u2019t be profitable, but we would each be in our element.\u201d"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Butler Kahn Attorney Matt Kahn Interviews Judge for GTLA\u2019s \u2018Verdict\u2019 Magazine","item":"https:\/\/butlerfirm.com\/blog\/view-from-the-bench\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]