From the President
| Jurisdiction | Georgia,United States |
| Citation | Vol. 28 No. 5 Pg. 0006 |
| Pages | 0006 |
| Publication year | 2023 |
From the President
Professionalism Month Proclamation Highlights Legislative Session
SARAH B. "SALLY" AKINS
President State Bar of Georgia president@gabar.org
During the waning days of the 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a proclamation designating April as Legal Professionalism Month in Georgia.
The purpose of the governor's proclamation is to promote collegiality and professionalism among members of the State Bar of Georgia.
The proclamation states in part, "Collegiality among counsel is critical to the effective and efficient adjudication of cases and controversies before Georgia Courts. ... Increased legal professionalism may help to instill public trust and confidence in the legal system."
I had the honor of attending the governor's signing of the proclamation at the Capitol, along with the Bar leaders and staff who helped make it happen, including our Professionalism Committee Chair Josh Bosin, committee members Carlos Vilela and John Lange, Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Karlise Grier, as well as Bar Executive Director Damon Elmore and Governmental Affairs Director Christine Butcher Hayes. Georgia's First Lady Marty Kemp also joined us for the ceremony.
Having called for a renewed commitment to professionalism at the beginning of my term as Bar president, I was delighted by the governor's action, which was the result of exemplary teamwork among the Professionalism Committee, the Chief Justice's Commission and Bar staff.
Recognizing April as Legal Professionalism Month in Georgia serves as a timely reminder to reinforce our commitment to conducting ourselves in a professional manner, which—as I stated on these pages last August—is something we should resolve to do every year.
Take a Chance to Take in the State Capitol
Visiting the governor's office in late March also gave us a chance to catching the flurry of action beneath the Gold Dome during the final days of the 2023 legislative session. After two years of limited entry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the capitol building was back to normal and full of energy, celebrating everyone from 4H participants, Girl Scouts, high school and college football champions, and even the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar. For those Georgia lawyers who have not had a chance to visit the Legislature while the member are in...
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