Delcampo's Rise to Bar Presidency an "american Dream Kind of Story"
| Jurisdiction | Georgia,United States |
| Pages | 0040 |
| Citation | Vol. 29 No. 1 Pg. 0040 |
| Publication year | 2023 |
DelCampo's Rise to Bar Presidency an "American Dream Kind of Story"
Upon his inauguration in June, Hon. J. Antonio "Tony" DelCampo became the first Latino to serve as president of the State Bar of Georgia.
BY LINTON JOHNSON
(Left to right) Michael, Kelly, Tony and Corina DelCampo.
On July 12, 1979, a single mother in Lima, Peru, named Ida Aaron made a courageous decision to round up her four children—ranging in age from 15 years to 9 months—and leave their home in search of a better life in the United States.
The second youngest of the children was 10-year-old J. Antonio "Tony" Del-Campo, who would grow up in DeKalb County to become a lawyer, a trial-court judge and now the 61st president of the State Bar of Georgia. DelCampo became the first Latino to serve as judge in a court of record and the first Latino to serve as president of the State Bar.
"She saw the future and the opportunities this country afforded," DelCampo said of his mother during an interview shortly after taking office in June. "It's a pretty amazing story, very much the American dream kind of story. She left a fairly good job in Peru and a very good life to come here, and she started out cleaning toilets at a Marriott, as many immigrants do."
Better employment opportunities for his mother would come along at National Data Corp., Trust Company Bank and then with the Internal Revenue Service, DelCampo said, adding, "We lived in an apartment complex on Buford Highway, and the rest is history, as they say."
DelCampo graduated from Chamblee High School in 1987 and then enrolled at Emory University. "I thought I wanted to go to medical school," he said. "Then I got to organic chemistry, and my professor basically told me I was not cut out for medicine." Instead, he graduated in 1991 with a double major in Latin American literature and international studies. He was also given the lead role in two plays, which were in Spanish, while a student at Emory.
"I forget the names of the plays," he said. "It's been a long time, but I enjoyed doing that. Emory was really good to me and has been very good to me." He now serves on the Oxford College of Emory University's Board of Visitors.
Another experience at Emory was influential in his decision to pursue a law degree, DelCampo added. "I did a program, kind of like a Model U.N. program, but it was Model OAS, for Organization of American states. All of the countries of the Americas have a vote. I was selected to attend and represent Emory University as one of the diplomats." DelCampo said that was when he realized he had skill for public speaking, and he was elected chairman of one of the program's...
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