Ryan Hope was sworn in as Judge in the State Court of Athens-Clarke County on March 1st, 2023. Judge Hope also sits by designation as a Superior Court Judge, assisting Chief Superior Court Judge Eric Norris as the backup Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court.

Judge Hope previously served as Judge of the Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County since his appointment to that position by former Mayor Nancy Denson in February of 2017. He was reappointed to that position in 2019 and 2021 by Mayor Kelly Girtz. All three appointments were unanimously approved by the Athens-Clarke County Commission. 

Prior to his Municipal Court appointment, Judge Hope previously served for 10 years as Chief Assistant Solicitor in the Solicitor General's Office of Athens-Clarke County. Prior to that, he worked for six years as a public defender for the UGA Legal Aid Clinic and the Western Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office. Throughout his legal career, Judge Hope has been heavily involved in the local accountability courts. He served as a team member for the Athens-Clarke County DUI/Drug Court as both a public defender and as Chief Assistant Solicitor. As Chief Assistant Solicitor, Judge Hope was a team member of the Western Circuit Treatment and Accountability Court and the Western Circuit Veteran's Court.

Hope received his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Georgia. He is active in his community, serving as a board member for Timothy Road Elementary School PTO, board president for People Living in Recovery, and as past Treasurer for the Council of Municipal Court Judges. He and his wife reside in Athens with their two children.