J. Scott Key is a figure in the criminal defense community, especially on the appellate and legislative sides. Representing clients, he won cases that established the right to an interpreter in Georgia for non-English speaking defendants and another that clarified the standard of care for lawyers in child molestation cases in terms of expert witnesses—the latter decision overturning a child molestation conviction and 60-­year sentence.

He's authored amicus briefs for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), leading to a decision that struck down as unconstitutional the civil forfeiture provisions of the state's racketeering statute and another where a death sentence was overturned.

Key, who also heads GACDL's legislative committee, graduated from Georgia State University College of Law.