From the President
| Publication year | 2022 |
| Pages | 0006 |
SARAH B. "SALLY" AKINS
President
State Bar of Georgia
president@gabar.org
The Power of Self-Discipline
At the beginning of this Bar year, I included making the public aware of what the State Bar of Georgia does to ensure the residents of this state are well served by lawyers as one of our top priorities. At every opportunity, we are making an effort to remind the public of how a unified Bar protects their interests.
The most important of these is our program of self-regulation, and it always has been.
Hugh Dorsey, who became the first president of the unified State Bar of Georgia in 1964 said, "Certainly, the capstone of the State Bar is the power of self-discipline, which has been sought so long and needed so badly. For the first time all of us can, and will, be held to answer to the public for the conduct and character of our profession, and here we must not, and cannot, fail."
The State Bar fulfills this duty through strict codes of ethics and discipline that are enforced by the Supreme Court of Georgia, through the work of the State Bar's Office of the General Counsel. The process is driven by investigations and reviews of the State Disciplinary Board, which includes Bar members and nonlawyers alike.
The disciplinary program is funded by Bar members. mandatory license fees Further, the unified Bar recognizes the unique status of lawyers as officers of the court and the accompanying need for an enhanced system of regulation for the legal profession.
The State Bar's disciplinary process is presented in full on our website. All Georgia lawyers would benefit from familiarizing themselves with the process and taking advantage of the Office of the General Counsel's Ethics Helpline at 404527-8741 or 800-682-9806 or by email through a link on the Bar website with questions about ethics and disciplinary rules and potential ethical dilemmas.
I'll summarize the disciplinary process here. The early stages of an investigation are completely confidential as to the Bar. The Supreme Court of Georgia regulates the practice of law in Georgia and has the final say regarding any public discipline against a lawyer. The State Disciplinary Board decides which cases the State Bar of Georgia will prosecute, and the lawyers in the Office of the General Counsel prosecute those cases. There are three stages to a disciplinary matter: the initial screening process, a formal investigation by the State Disciplinary Board and disposition through dismissal, imposition of confidential discipline or public proceedings.
Screening Process
When a member of the public contacts the State Bar about a problem with a lawyer, the inquiry goes to the Client Assistance Program (CAP), which can intervene when a client is having trouble communicating with their lawyer or when a call to the lawyer might resolve the problem. If CAP staff cannot resolve the matter informally, they may send a grievance form to the person who has complained.
Filing a grievance is the most...
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