From the Executive Director
| Publication year | 2021 |
| Pages | 0014 |
| Citation | Vol. 26 No. 6 Pg. 0014 |
GBJ | From the Executive Director
You're Still in Court!
DAMON ELMORE
Executive Director
State Bar of Georgia
damone@gabar.org
Without a doubt, one of the best parts of this job is the opportunity to travel around the state and meet with judges and lawyers where they are. It remains important for me to get a sense of their work and the issues that are important to them, as well as to hear their suggestions and ideas that could potentially help their colleagues elsewhere.
On top of that, this has become a time when, as we slowly emerge from restrictions for in-person gatherings, it's feeling really good to be back together again. This is especially important if the events are safe and if a member tells me that he or she has been vaccinated or flashes their card.
So it was at the Council of State Court Judges conference in May that the basis of this article found its genesis. Special thanks to Judge Russell McClelland of Forsyth County, Judge Alvin Wong and his wife Jeannie Lin of DeKalb County, and Judge Stacey Hydrick of DeKalb County for letting me listen to their conversation and take their advice to remind other Bar members of these things for our brave new world.
While it is encouraging to hear that Zoom or similar teleconferencing platforms will have their place going forward, you're still in court. If you're not in court, you are negotiating a deal for the acquisition of a large manufacturing company. Or, you may be providing advice and guidance to your county commissioners or other local elected officials. No matter what you are doing, what I heard is that it may be time to ditch the yoga pants and be aware of your surroundings as you represent the best interest of your clients, however that may be.
But that wasn't the only lesson learned that night. We have to re-indoctrinate ourselves. Social events and other gatherings will have a mix of people who are comfortable with where we are, and some who never thought the idea of a handshake was a good idea in the first place. Regardless, we have to meet people where they are and get the job done right.
As active members of the Bar, it is incumbent on us to stay current on new and evolving legal theories and state of the law. One obvious way to do so is by fulfilling our annual continuing legal education requirements. The quality programs and seminars the Bar offers...
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