The State Bar of Georgia has given its highest accolade to retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugh Thompson.

“We are honored to show our appreciation to Justice Thompson for his career of service as a lawyer, jurist and public servant and his dedication to upholding the rule of law under the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Georgia and the foundational ideal of equal justice for all,” State Bar Immediate Past President Patrick O'Connor, of Oliver Maner in Savannah, said as he made the presentation at the group's midyear meeting last weekend, according to a news release.

Thompson retired a year ago after 47 years in the legal profession, including 45 on the bench serving every kind of court.

As he packed up his chambers at the high court, Thompson in December 2016 shared with the Daily Report some of the folksy metaphors and down-to-earth wisdom that earned him the affection and respect of members of the bar. He compared judges on the high court to tools, likened their deliberations to a bag race, and attributed his own success to availability.

“I think people saw things in me I didn't realize I had,” Thompson said in the interview. “I was always lucky to be standing around on the platform when the train was leaving. I had friends who'd say, 'Get on board,' and I'd say 'OK.'”

His list of those who helped him started with the U.S. government for giving him a “war orphan” scholarship after his father was killed in World War II.