Athens Access to Justice Initiative: Judicial Leadership + Bar Support + Local Resources=powerful Synergy
| Jurisdiction | Georgia,United States |
| Citation | Vol. 23 No. 7 Pg. 0026 |
| Pages | 0026 |
| Publication year | 2018 |
Athens Access to Justice Initiative: Judicial Leadership + Bar Support + Local Resources=Powerful Synergy
Through the Athens Access to Justice Initiative, Hon. Regina Quick is providing a helping hand to members of her own community.
BY PROF. ELEANOR C. LANIER
(Left to right) Hon. Regina M. Quick, Superior Court, Western Judicial Circuit; Rep. Deborah Gonzales (D-Athens); Hon. Susan P. Tate, Athens-Clarke County Probate Court; Karaline Farmer; and Debra M. Finch, Debra M. Finch, P.C., Athens.
One thing Superior Court Judge Regina Quick is most passionate about is access to legal services for the poor. She knows first-hand how poverty affects children and families. Growing up as the daughter of a coal miner in rural Alabama, Quick saw how education and a helping hand could change a person's path in life. Through the Athens Access to Justice Initiative, Quick is providing that helping hand to members of her own community.
In 2017, Quick became the first woman appointed as Superior Court judge in the Western Judicial Circuit, which covers Athens. She wasted no time marshalling local resources to fulfill her long-time dream of providing support to those in the community who cannot afford legal help. She convened a steering committee consisting of local bar leadership, the managing attorney of the Athens office of the Georgia Legal Services Program and faculty representatives from the University of Georgia School of Law. The end result was the establishment of the Athens Access to Justice (AATJ) Initiative, a local effort that builds upon efforts of the State Bar Pro Bono Resource Center and the Bar's Access to Justice Committee, led by Hon. Jill Pryor.
Pop-Up Legal Clinic
In December 2017, the AATJ hosted its first pop-up legal clinic at a public housing community center in Athens. Members of the local bench, including Quick, were on hand to explain the operations of their respective courts. Volunteer lawyers provided free legal advice and limited scope assistance or referrals to those in need on a wide range of topics, including family law, landlord-tenant, expungements, etc. The clinics "pop up" at various locations in the community once a month to make it easy for those who need help to reach the clinic.
The response from the local bar has been overwhelming...
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