2022 Annual Meeting: a Return to Amelia Island
| Citation | Vol. 28 No. 1 Pg. 0024 |
| Pages | 0024 |
| Publication year | 2022 |
2022 Annual Meeting: A Return to Amelia Island
BY STEPHANIE J. WILSON
After heading to South Carolina last summer, the State Bar of Georgia was welcomed back to the Omni Amelia Island Resort with open arms for the 2022 Annual Meeting. Many of the events were available in a hybrid in-person/virtual format allowing those who did not wish to travel the ability to take part. The Annual Meeting is always a special time for members of the State Bar of Georgia to not only attend to the business of the Bar but also to spend time with colleagues, friends, family members and guests for an unforgettable weekend that is the perfect mixture of meetings and merriment.
Opening Night Festival
The weekend began with the ultimate outdoor summer party on the Magnolia Terrace where guests enjoyed a relaxing and fun-filled evening dedicated to good food, great music and a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Festival activities included face painting, games (for the young and the young at heart) and more, surrounded by a rustic but glamorously decorated space, complete with fire pits, tent chalets and canoe bars. Partygoers could stop by the photo booth camper to snap some pics to remember the evening. The Band Be Easy—a State Bar favorite—provided the soundtrack for the evening.
Weekend Bar Business
Despite the beautiful beaches and fun galore available in Amelia Island, the main objective of the weekend was the business of the Bar. A number of sections and committees scheduled meetings in which they reviewed the business of the past year while they looked forward to the work and challenges of the next. CLE seminars on Thursday and Friday afforded all present the opportunity to explore topics like environmental justice or the annual installment of the war stories series. Balancing out the business of the day were the evening events that seamlessly incorporated networking and socializing in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. Beginning with the Opening Night Festival on Thursday, members and their guests could choose to attend events depending on their interest and affiliation. Receptions hosted by law school alumni groups, sections and other organizations gave attendees the opportunity to enjoy time with friends and colleagues that they may not have seen in quite some time (or at least since the previous year's meeting or possibly pre-COVID-19). More formal events included the YLD Dinner and Swearing-In Ceremony on Friday and the Presidential Inaugural Gala on Saturday.
(Left to right) 2021-22 State Bar President Elizabeth L. Fite presents a replica check to Georgia Legal Services Program Executive Director Susan Coppedge in the amount of $619,393 representing the voluntary contributions made by Bar members to GLSP's 2021 "And Justice for All" campaign.
Board Meeting Highlights
The June 3 plenary session began with special recognition by President Elizabeth L. Fite of members of the judiciary, past presidents of the Bar and other special guests, in addition to recognizing and honoring retiring Executive Committee members and Board of Governors members. Following a few business items, President Fite invited Justice Charlie Bethel to the podium to present the Juvenile Law and Child Advocacy Awards.
Joining Justice Bethel for these presentations were Nicki Vaughan, immediate past chair, Child Protection & Advocacy Section, and Ira Foster, general counsel, Georgia Legal Services Program. The Chief Justice Harris Hines Award for Outstanding Advocacy for Children in Dependency Proceedings was presented to Katie Hamm, Hall County case manager, and Jennifer Cline, Rockdale County special assistant attorney general. The Judge Willie Lovett Award for Advancing the Field of Juvenile Law was presented to Donald Lee, staff attorney with Gwinnett County Juvenile Court's Guardian Ad Litem unit.
President Fite welcomed Susan Coppedge, executive director, Georgia Legal Services Program, to present a replica check in the amount of $619,393 representing the voluntary contributions made by Bar members to GLSP's 2021 "And Justice for All" campaign.
Next, Chief Justice David Nahmias delivered the State of the Supreme Court of Georgia address followed by the State of the Court of Appeals of Georgia address by Chiefjudge Brian Rickman, the State of the Office of Governor by Executive Counsel David Dove on behalf of Gov. Brian Kemp, the State of the Georgia House Judiciary Committee by Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Dacula) and the State of the Georgia Senate Special Judiciary Committee by Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough).
Outgoing YLD President Elissa B. Haynes reported on the activities of the Young Lawyers Division. She took time to highlight the extensive work of the YLD members and committees in presenting impactful CLEs and programming, for their service to the public and the profession, a successful Signature Fundraiser benefiting Kate's Club and the 11th Annual Legal Food Frenzy which raised $880,248 or the equivalent of 3.5 million meals for food-insecure Georgians. The Georgia YLD also participated in the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Conference, which was held in Atlanta in May. They hosted a roundtable with members of the federal judiciary with a recordsetting 83 federal judges in attendance from Georgia, Alabama and Florida. She thanked the YLD officers and Board of Directors, the Bar's...
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