Douglas B. Ammar, Executive Director of the Georgia Justice Project (GJP), has been an active presence with the organization since its inception in 1986. Georgia Justice Project, a legal nonprofit organization in Metro Atlanta, works to strengthen Atlanta’s communities by demonstrating a better way to represent individuals in the criminal justice system. By reducing barriers to reentry through direct legal action, policy advocacy, education and coalition building, GJP has served as a strong advocate of second chances for over 30 years. Beginning as a volunteer for the organization in 1986, then moving on as staff attorney in 1990, Doug has led GJP and its work as Executive Director since 1995.

Doug earned a Bachelor of History degree from Davidson College in 1984, following with a law degree from Washington and Lee University in 1989. Doug’s professional awards and affiliations include:  Davidson’s College’s 2016 Game Changers, Emory University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award, the Milner S. Ball Working In the Public Interest Lifetime Achievement Award; the Thomas Moore Society Law Award (Atlanta);  the Annie E. Casey Foundation Fellowship; the Georgia Center for Nonprofits’ Evelyn G. Ullman Innovative Leadership Award; The Urban League of Greater Atlanta’s Man of Empowerment and Distinction Award; Fulton County Daily Report’s Young Lawyer on the Rise Award; Omicron Delta Kappa Alumni inductee at Washington & Lee University; Emory Law School’s Public Interest Committee’s Inspiration Award; the University of Georgia’s Equal Justice Foundation’s Knox Award; the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Indigent Defense Award; Davidson College’s John W. Kuykendall Award for Community Service; the Atlanta Catholic Social Services’ Award for Exemplary Service; the Davidson College Alumni Admissions Program Award; and the Georgia Indigent Defense Council’s Commitment to Excellence Award.