From the Yld President

• Publication year: 2018
• Pages: 0010
• Citation: Vol. 23 No. 7 Pg. 0010

From the YLD President Vol. 23 No. 7 Pg. 10 Georgia Bar Journal June, 2018

NICOLE C. LEET, J.

YLD President State Bar of Georgia nleet@grsmb.com

Serving as an Example

I have been honored to serve as president of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia for the past Bar year. It has been an amazing year working with young lawyers across the state to advance this year’s theme of pro bono service, and the YLD has exceeded expectations for a successful year. When the YLD (then the Younger Lawyers Section) was created in 1947, its purpose was to further the goals of the State Bar, increase interest and participation of young lawyers and foster the principals of duty and service to the public. The YLD has continued to advance its mission through the hard work of its officers, directors, district representatives, committee chairs, and—most importantly—its members.

While this article could be solely dedicated to listing all of the great works the YLD has done this year, there frankly is not enough room. And while the individual projects and initiatives have continued to grow and serve the public and the profession, the YLD’s strongest asset has also grown and demonstrated its unwavering commitment to fulfilling the YLD’s mission. This article is dedicated to recognizing the YLD’s strongest asset—its members. At almost 10,000 members, young lawyers continue to grow in numbers across the state. And with the increase in numbers, young lawyers have also strengthened their commitment to public service. This year, YLD members embraced the theme of pro bono service and demonstrated not only a commitment to put in the hours, but a willingness to knock through perceived barriers to pro bono service and find a way to make such service work for them. YLD members also embraced serving their community, demonstrating ways to give back to the public and highlight the true professional spirit of the legal community.

In engaging with the YLD, young lawyers across the state have stepped up to demonstrate leadership. Leadership is more than simply being the head of an organization. Being a leader means bringing people together for a common purpose or goal—big or small. One of the most important aspects of leadership is the actions one takes when being a leader. My mother has been telling me that “actions speak louder than words” for as long as I can remember. Being a leader certainly follows the adage that actions speak louder than words.

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