For its first oral arguments in the new Nathan Deal Judicial Center Tuesday, the Georgia Supreme Court heard appeals in a half-dozen murder cases, plus a challenge to state law regulating lactation consultants.

But the first order of business at the 10 a.m. opening was swearing in about 40 new lawyers in a packed courtroom. With the new lawyers still gathered around the nine-member bench, Chief Justice Harold Melton took a moment to reflect on the historic day.