How a retired federal judge—now a JAMS neutral—found himself fielding texts, calls and congratulations meant for a newly elected congressman

“No, I’m not running for Congress.” The first time I typed that text, it was funny. Now, after months of being confused with another Georgia lawyer named Clay Fuller, it is time to set the record straight. My name is J. Clay Fuller, and I am a retired United States magistrate judge who is now a neutral with JAMS in Atlanta. I am not the Clay Fuller who is the newly elected representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district.

After serving as a federal judge for more than 12 years, I retired from the bench and joined JAMS last year to help people resolve their disputes through mediation and arbitration.

At the beginning of this year, the texts started. “Are you running for Congress?” No. “Are you related to him?” No. “Can I be your chief of staff?” No. “I think of you every day when I see your signs.” Thank you. I even received a misdirected text extending congratulations for securing an endorsement from the White House. “Wrong Clay Fuller,” I replied to my friend, who apparently has both Clay Fullers in his contacts. A former judge colleague confided, in all federal judge seriousness, “When I first heard the news, I thought it was you.” A radio station left a message on my cell phone, requesting an interview. One lawyer even argued with me a little over the idea that I was not related to Rep. Fuller, saying that because we both have the same name and are from the same part of the state, we had to be related.

The confusion is understandable. We share more than our name. Both Clay Fullers are lawyers, and both of us have engaged in government service, as I was a federal judge and Rep. Fuller was a district attorney. Geography contributes to the uncertainty. I grew up in Dalton, Georgia, which is part of Rep. Fuller’s district. Timing adds more intrigue. Many in the legal community know I retired last year from the bench in the Northern District of Georgia, so perhaps upon hearing news of Rep. Fuller’s campaign, they understandably thought, “Oh, so that’s what he’s doing now.”  

Running for Congress, or any elected office, has never entered my mind. Suddenly, I began to wonder: If my friends are this confused by the two Clay Fullers, what about people who don’t know me? There is a fundamental difference in our roles. As an elected official, Rep. Fuller must take a firm position on many of today’s most controversial political issues. As a judge, and now as a neutral, I am bound to steer clear of those thorny topics. I began to wonder what, if anything, I could do to help people in the legal community differentiate this Clay Fuller from the other. To draw a distinction, I will harken back to my days as a professional musician before attending law school to highlight some notable differences between the two of us:

• Fuller is a former White House Fellow; I played lead guitar in Allgood, a rock band from Athens, Georgia.
• Fuller did a tour of duty as a legal advisor in the Middle East; I toured the U.S. for eight years, including playing the 1993 H.O.R.D.E Festival.
• Fuller played basketball at Emory University; I played guitar in basketball arenas at Ole Miss (with Widespread Panic), Vanderbilt (with Blues Traveler) and Northwestern State (with Bad Company).
• Fuller has been endorsed by the current administration; I was endorsed by guitar manufacturer Gibson during the 1990s and still regularly play the two Les Pauls I acquired during that time.