Should any member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia or any member of the State Board of Education be otherwise occupied, at the time of any meeting of the board, as counsel or party in any case pending in the courts of this state and should the case be called for trial during the regular session of the board, the absence of the member to attend the session shall be good ground for a postponement or continuance of the case until the session of the board has come to an end.
§ 9-10-151.Grounds for continuance — Attendance at board of regents or education meeting
Chapter 10. Civil Practice and Procedure Generally · Article 7. Continuances · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 9-10-151 gives a member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia or the State Board of Education good ground for a continuance when a pending case is called for trial while that member’s board is holding its regular session.
Full Text of § 9-10-151
Plain-English Summary
Serving on a state board can pull a lawyer or litigant away from the courthouse, and this section recognizes that conflict for two specific bodies: the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the State Board of Education. If a member of either board is acting as counsel or a party in a pending case, and the case gets called for trial while the board is meeting in regular session, the member’s absence to attend that session is good ground for a postponement or continuance.
The relief lasts only as long as the conflict does. Once the board’s session ends, the reason for the delay disappears, and the case moves forward. Unlike the legislator provisions elsewhere in this article, this section sets no written-certification requirement and no fixed number of days — it ties the continuance to the actual length of the board’s regular session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which boards does this section cover?
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the State Board of Education. A member of either board can invoke this ground for continuance.
What has to be true for a board member to get a continuance under this section?
The member must be occupied as counsel or a party in a case pending in a Georgia court, and the case must be called for trial while the member’s board is holding a regular session.
How long does the continuance last?
Until the board’s session comes to an end — the statute ties the postponement directly to the duration of that meeting.
Does the section say the continuance is mandatory?
It describes the member’s absence as good ground for a postponement or continuance, which frames it as a recognized basis a court should accept rather than an automatic entitlement spelled out with mandatory language.
Does this section require a written certification like the General Assembly continuance provision does?
No. The text does not mention any certification, written statement, or objection procedure — it ties the continuance to the board member being occupied during the board’s regular session, without more.
Amendment History
Ga. L. 1931, p. 7, § 56; Code 1933, § 81-1404; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1406, § 1; Ga. L. 2019, p. 777, § 2/HB 502.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: georgia board of regents continuancestate board of education member trial conflictboard meeting conflict continuance georgia courtocga 9-10-151 postponementregents attorney trial continuance georgia