Eric Cochling

Eric Cochling
Chief Program Officer and General Counsel
Georgia Center for Opportunity

As Chief Program Officer and General Counsel, Eric is responsible for managing GCO’s success sequence-focused programs, while providing legal guidance to the organization. He also represents GCO in professional forums, conferences, legislative hearings and public speeches.

Eric is a licensed attorney in the State of Georgia and received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia where he graduated magna cum laude. He also received his juris doctorate and master’s degree in public administration from Georgia State University. Prior to joining GCO, he was in private practice for eight years with a focus on business formation, real estate, contract negotiations, estate planning, and civil disputes.

Prior to going into private practice, Eric worked for a short time at a Washington, DC think tank and as a legislative aide to a former minority leader in the Georgia State House of Representatives.

Eric has served as Co-Chair of the Individual Rights Section of the State Bar of Georgia and his legal analysis of the Georgia Charter Schools Commission law was published in the John Marshall Law Review. Eric has been interviewed by most of the major news outlets in Georgia on a wide range of issues and his opinion pieces have appeared widely in Georgia.

Eric is a founding board member for The Other Side Academy – Atlanta, a residential vocational alternative sentencing program for individuals desiring to get their lives on track. He also serves on the board of the Georgia Cyber Academy, a charter school serving students across the state.

Eric is active in his church, serving in children’s ministry with his wife. He is also active with his son’s in the Boy Scouts, having served as a Cub Master, a Den Leader, and Patrol Advisor.

Eric is a proud native Georgian. He and his wife, Laura, have three children and live in Lawrenceville.