Attorney Wellness
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Pages | 0062 |
Byrd's Story
Megan Murren Rittle
In nearly 50 years of practicing, Byrd Garland has seen the highs, but he has also seen the lows. And he can attest, with expertise, that the stress of the highs and lows can take its toll on an attorney's wellness.
BY MEGAN MURREN RITTLE
Byrd Garland invited me to meet him at his office on a typical June day. I show up, laptop in hand, ready for lunch and to learn. Byrd Garland, a Jackson, Georgia attorney, will retire at the end of 2023 after 50 years of service. Knowing there must be a story of wellness to be told in a life of serving 50 years as a lawyer, I relished the opportunity to get to hear it firsthand, and, Byrd, ever the storyteller, was more than happy to oblige. I stroll through Byrd's office on Brookwood Avenue and say hello to its other occupants before stopping at his office to see if he is ready for lunch. As we walk to the front of the office to leave, we are met at the door by Tyler Garland. Tyler and Byrd have been married for 54 years. Byrd's story—one of adaptability and endurance—cannot be told without Tyler.
I hop in the back of Byrd's car anticipating a routine that is all too familiar to me. Before lunch, we drive the less than half a mile to Byrd and Tyler's house so that I can envy the hydrangeas that seem to have multiplied by 100 this year; admire how big the fish in the koi pond have gotten; pet the naughty corgi, Bad George, before Tyler shoos him away; and covet the beautiful outdoor dining room that has been created under the canopy of oaks since the last time I stopped by. After a peaceful stroll through dreamland (and believe me, their yard is an absolute dream), we head over to Jimmy's, a local favorite, for lunch.
I met Byrd as a baby lawyer in 2012. I had barely passed the bar when I had the opportunity to watch Byrd defend his client against a civil warrant for assault and battery. The accuser testified that Byrd's client had pushed her up against the wall by her throat and held her there for one minute. Byrd clarified, "One minute, you say?" The accuser confirmed, it was one minute. Byrd made a show of pushing up his coat sleeve and looking at his
J. Byrd Garland
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITH, WELCH, WEBB &WHITE, LLC watch. He said, "OK, I am going to time one minute." Pause. Byrd's eyes are fixed on his watch. Witness is starting to stir, nervously. I am enthralled, knowing full well that I am seeing a master at work. Byrd speaks up, "That was 30 seconds. Did he hold you there longer than that?" "No," comes the answer of...
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