Judges, lawyers and other members of the Atlanta legal community will mark the opening of the judicial year at the 2010 Red Mass.

The traditional liturgy will be held on Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, at 353 Peachtree Street, NE.

Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will celebrate the Mass, which has roots in the 13th century.  The name comes from scarlet vestments worn by the presiding clergy and judicial robes.

The Atlanta Chapter of the St. Thomas More Society, an organization of Catholic lawyers, is to host the event.

Following the Mass, the legal community will celebrate two of their own at the annual awards banquet at the downtown Capital City Club, at 7 Harris Street, NW. Each year the St. Thomas More Society recognizes lawyers in the community who have devoted their time and talents to furthering the cause of social justice, which is a guiding principle of the legal profession and the Catholic faith.

The 2010 honorees are Judge Janis C. Gordon, a state court judge in DeKalb County,  and Emmet J. Bondurant II, a law partner at the firm of Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP.

Judge Gordon is being recognized for a career devoted to public service. As a judge and as a prosecutor before coming to the bench, Judge Gordon has shown a commitment to protecting and seeking justice for women and children who are the victims of prostitution and domestic violence.

Bondurant, a consistent advocate of many worthy causes, is being recognized for his efforts to ensure effective assistance of counsel for the indigent and his opposition to the death penalty.