Today on See You in Court, we are honored to be joined by the Honorable Stephen Louis A. Dillard, presiding 73rd Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia. 

Honorable Stephen Louis A. Dillard:

Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard was appointed as the 73rd judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia on November 1, 2010, by Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to his appointment, Judge Dillard was in private practice with James, Bates, Pope & Spivey in Macon, serving as chairman of the firm's appellate practice group. Judge Dillard was elected and reelected by his fellow Georgians in 2012 and 2018. On July 1, 2017, Judge Dillard was sworn in as the 30th Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia for a two-year term that ended on June 30, 2019. He currently serves as the presiding judge of the Court’s Fourth Division.

Judge Dillard was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 13, 1969. He attended and graduated from Hillwood High School in Nashville, Tennessee; Samford University (B.A. 1992); and the Mississippi College School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1996). In college, Judge Dillard was a member of The Sigma Chi Fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa. He was also given the Evelyn Meadows Historical Essay Award, as well as the William McMillian Rogers Colonial Dames Overall Essay Award for "The Tempting of America to be America: Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers." During law school, Judge Dillard was a member of the Moot Court Board and received the Judge Robert G. Gillespie Outstanding Achievement in Appellate Advocacy Award, as well as the American Jurisprudence Award in Appellate Advocacy. He also reactivated the Mississippi College Chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, serving as its president for three years.

After graduating from law school, Judge Dillard joined the Macon law firm of Stone & Baxter, where he practiced from 1996 until 2001. In September 2001, he left private practice for a two-year period to serve as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for Judge Daniel A. Manion (who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986). In September 2003, Judge Dillard joined James Bates as of counsel, specializing in appellate practice and complex litigation. While in practice, he received an AV® Preeminent™ Peer-Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was named by Super Lawyers as one of Georgia's "rising stars."

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Links:

Judge Stephen Dillard Twitter

Court of Appeals of the State of GA

http://www.akintate.com/

https://www.gatriallawyers.net/

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today on See You in Court, we are excited to be joined by Frank Burns of J. Franklin Burns, P.C. On the show, Frank shares his expertise on worker’s compensation law, how the worker’s comp system works, as well as some common misconceptions about the law. 

Frank Burns:

Frank Burns, Esq. is the founder of J. Franklin Burns, P.C. and a native of Gainesville, Georgia. He is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1982. He earned his J. D. at Mercer University School of Law in 1987. He began his legal career at Gorby & Reeves, an insurance defense law firm where he represented employers and insurance companies in Workers' Compensation matters across the State of Georgia.

In 2002, he opened his law practice, J. Franklin Burns, P.C., devoting his practice exclusively to the representation of injured workers and personal injury victims. He has served on the State Board of Workers' Advisory Council. and on the Legislative Committee of the Advisory Council. The Legislative Committee represents all stakeholders in the workers' compensation system and is charged with crafting workers' compensation laws for the State of Georgia.

In 2010, Mr. Burns was nominated and selected as a member to the Southern Trial Lawyers Association. He was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1987 and has been practicing workers’ compensation law ever since.

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Links:

https://www.jfblaw.com/

https://sbwc.georgia.gov/

http://www.akintate.com/

https://www.gatriallawyers.net/

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today we are delighted to have Brian Haara with us. He is a Kentucky lawyer and author of Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America and we are going to talk about his book and how litigation involving Bourbon, the great American Spirit, shaped our country’s laws.

Brian Haara:

Brian primarily serves the trial and litigation needs of clients in the insurance, financial services, and bourbon industries, but more broadly, Brian represents businesses and professionals in defense of employment claims and professional liability claims, fiduciary liability, disputes among owners, conflicts with competitors and vendors, insurance coverage and bad faith disputes, construction defects, and personal injury defense.  Clients have also called on Brian to coordinate and manage multi-state non-compete litigation.

Before disputes arise, Brian focuses with clients on being able to avoid them through planning, drafting practical policies and proactive employment contracts with reasonable restrictive covenants, and protecting clients by counseling them on their insurance policies and risks.

Brian’s practice also includes land-use planning litigation, receiverships, Community Association disputes, and other real property disputes, including as a Mediator approved by the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors for residential sales disputes.

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Links:

https://tachaulaw.com/

http://www.sippncorn.com/

https://twitter.com/sippncorn

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today we are delighted to have Attorney Luther Battiste with us. He is a lawyer in Columbia, S.C. and the former National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is also the host of World Class Jazz that airs each Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on WVCD 96.5 Voorhees College.

Bio:

Luther Battiste, III, Esquire:

Luther J. Battiste, III is a founding shareholder of Johnson, Toal & Battiste, P.A. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Emory University Law School.

In 1983, Luther entered the political arena and made history by becoming one of the first two African-Americans elected to Columbia City Council since Reconstruction. He served fifteen years as a member of the Columbia City Council including two terms as Mayor Pro Tempore. In 1998, the City of Columbia dedicated to Luther J. Battiste, III the Monument and Plaza in honor of his dedicated service as a public servant.

Luther has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America, and Super Lawyers and also has been awarded the “AV” highest rating for ethics and legal ability by the Martindale-Hubbell national rating service. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the International Association of Barristers. Membership is by invitation only.

Luther has served as president of the Columbia Lawyers Association, the Richland County Bar, Association, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, and The Southeastern Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA).

He is also a member of the John Belton O’Neil Inn of Court, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, the National Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, Injured Workers Advocates, and The American Trial Lawyers Association. In 2017, Luther was elected National Vice President of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He served two terms as Commissioner of the Richland-Lexington Airport Commission which operates the Columbia Airport and as Chairman for two years. In 1999, Luther Battiste received the coveted Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of South Carolina. In 1999, he was selected to the South Carolina Black Hall Fame and for inclusion in the Bell South African American Calendar for 2004. In 2007, the Richland County Bar Association awarded him the John W. Williams Award, its highest honor. In 2008, he was selected by Historic Columbia Foundation as one of the 30 Most Significant African-Americans in Richland County.

Luther presently serves on the boards of South State Bank, the National Center for State Courts and the executive committee and board of directors of American Board of Trial Advocates. He is the Chairman of University Associates, a group of business, professional and community leaders who support the University of South Carolina

His previous community service includes serving on the boards of Columbia College and as President of the Board of the Columbia Museum of Art and as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Capital City Club.

Luther is married to Judy M. Battiste, and they have two children, Justin and Jade.

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Links:

JOHNSON TOAL & BATTISTE PA

World Class Jazz each Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on WVCD 96.5 Voorhees College

Miles Davis - All Blues

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today we are delighted to have Jason Lazarus with us. He is a lawyer and author of The Art of Settlement-A Lawyer’s Guide to Regulatory Compliance When Resolving Catastrophic Claims and we are going to discuss his book, his career, and his expertise.

Jason Lazarus:

Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., CSSC, MSCC is the founder and chief executive officer of Synergy Settlement Services.  Synergy allows trial lawyers to focus on what they do best by handling all the issues which arise at settlement such as lien resolution, Medicare compliance, public benefit preservation, and settlement planning techniques for protecting the recovery.  He is also a Principal and President of Multi-Claimant Solutions which offers lien resolution and MSP compliance services for mass torts.

Mr. Lazarus is a renowned legal settlement services industry expert. His written work is widely published and his thought leadership in Medicare compliance has been cited by Federal courts and Florida courts including the Florida Supreme Court.  He is available to consult with trial lawyers across the country when they are dealing with the issues that arise at settlement including lien resolution, Medicare compliance, government benefit preservation, trusts and protection of the financial recovery.

Mr. Lazarus is the proud father of three children:  Sarah, Kyle, and Camille.  In his free time, he is an avid cyclist and amateur auto racing given his passion for going fast!  Mr. Lazarus has a passion for UCF and FSU football.  He works out of the Synergy main office in Orlando.

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Links:

The Art of Settlement

Synergy Settlement Services

Special Needs Firm

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today we are going to be talking about The Common-Sense Wisdom of Mediation and to help us understand that we are thrilled to have Georgia Lawyers and Mediators Rex Smith and Greg Parent on the show with us today.

Rex Smith:

Rex D. Smith was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1976. In his 40 years of active practice, he tried over 100 cases and had a strong trial and appellate practice. Mr. Smith has handled over 2,750 mediations/arbitrations. He has been selected by his peers to “Best Lawyers in America”, “Georgia Super Lawyers” and holds the AV® Preeminent rating, the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. Rex has extensive experience in personal injury, construction, products liability, wrongful death, professional negligence, medical malpractice, aviation, nursing home litigation, and premises liability law.

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Greg Parent:

Greg has been a neutral with Miles Mediation & Arbitration since 2011. Relying on a comprehensive background that includes having worked as Claims Adjuster, Defense Attorney, and Plaintiff’s attorney, Greg has been able to parlay his extensive litigation and claims experience into a very successful career as a sought-after mediator and arbitrator.

He has mediated all types of civil litigation, including nursing home, wrongful death, medical malpractice, construction defect, contract disputes, business dissolution, products liability, premises liability, toxic torts, trucking and automobile liability, and municipal and county liability cases.

Read Full Bio 

Links:

https://www.milesmediation.com/

https://seeyouincourt.squarespace.com/ 

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Today we are speaking with State Senator Elena Parent. She was elected to the State Senate in 2014. She represents District 42, which includes portions of central and north DeKalb County. 

Sen. Parent is the Secretary for the Senate Government Oversight and Special Judiciary Committees and a member of the Education and Youth and Judiciary Committees. 

Sen. Parent formerly served as the Vice Chair of Campaigns and Fundraising for the Senate Democratic Caucus and cur­rently serves as Chairwoman for the Senate Democratic Caucus, Vice Chair of the Senate DeKalb Delegation, and Vice Chair of the Working Families Legislative Caucus. 

Senator Parent previously served as the State Representa­tive for District 81 in DeKalb County in 2011 and 2012. Senator Parent then continued her public service as the Executive Director of Georgia Watch, the state's leading consumer rights non-profit. 

Senator Parent began her career as a litigation attorney at Eversheds Sutherland LLP and she is active in her commu­nity. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board for Olmsted Linear Park Association and was appointed in 2020 to serve as an Emory Ambassador, having previously served on the Board of Visitors for Emory University. She is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia and the Uni­versity of Virginia School of Law. 

Senator Parent's awards and recognitions include: Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Who's Who Sustainability" feature for her leadership on energy and environmental policy issues; the Fulton County Daily Report's "On the Rise"; the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "40 Under 40"; ACCG's Legislative Ser­vice Award; and the Georgia Association of Women Law­yers' "Leading Lady". In 2019, Senator Parent and her hus­band were recipients of the Clarence Seeliger Champions for Change Award from the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. 

Links:

https://www.legis.ga.gov/

https://twitter.com/elenaparent

https://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

Today we are talking about State Court in Georgia, and specifically Fulton County State Court.  We discuss a State Court’s jurisdiction and the issues that State Courts are facing during the Pandemic. and to help us understand these issues we are thrilled to have the Honorable Susan Edlein, Judge of the Fulton County State Court here with us today.

Links:

http://fultonstate.org/

Youtube Channel

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

Today we are going to be talking about Divorce and Family Law practice, the issues that are prevalent these days during the Pandemic, and to help us understand that we are thrilled to have Georgia Lawyers Gillian O’Nan and Rob Wellon on the show with us today.

Guest Bios:

Gillian O'Nan

Gillian Fierer O’Nan is the managing partner of the Atlanta, Georgia, firm of Elovitz, Edwards, O’Nan & Buerlein, LLC. Focusing her practice exclusively on family law, she represents clients throughout Atlanta and surrounding counties in matters related to divorce, adoptions, child support and custody, separate maintenance and domestic violence. Ms. O’Nan also handles paternity cases, postnuptial and prenuptial agreements, post-action modifications and contempt cases. An experienced litigator, she is also a civil mediator and trained Guardian ad Litem.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2002, Ms. O’Nan went on to attend the University of Georgia School of Law and was awarded her Juris Doctor with honors in 2006. Admitted to practice in Georgia, she was associated with two Atlanta firms before opening her practice in 2013. Highly regarded by her peers, Ms. O’Nan has received a 10.0 “Superb” rating from Avvo.

A member of the family law sections of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association, Ms. O’Nan previously served on the board of directors for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and as the president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. She is a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. Active in a variety of community and civic organizations, Ms. O’Nan has served as a member of the Alliance Children’s Theatre Guild’s board of directors, chaired the Ava in Wonderland Charity Gala and Auction and donated her time to her local church as well as the Anti-Defamation League. Ms. O’Nan proudly serves as the Vice President of the Ashford Park Education Foundation and on the House Committee for the Atlanta Athletic Club. Ms. O’Nan was appointed by the Mayor of the City of Brookhaven in 2017 to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals; she proudly continues her service today.

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Robert Wellon

Rob has been practicing law since 1974, with an emphasis on litigation, and concentrating on family law. He is recognized as a creative problem-solver, whether in settling issues or trying cases. He has a lifelong commitment to service:

TEACHER Over twenty years of guiding law students into the profession, since 1995 as an adjunct professor at Emory Law School.

TRIAL ATTORNEY Founder and initial director of the Atlanta College of Trial Advocacy; former chairman of the Atlanta Bar Litigation Section, Adjunct Professor on Trial Advocacy.

FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Founder and initial president of the Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law American Inn of Court, over 31 years practicing in Family Law.

PROFESSIONAL ATTORNEY Serves on the State Bar Committee on Professionalism; frequent lecturer and moderator on professionalism and family law and litigation issues.

BAR LEADER Former president, Atlanta Bar Association; Board of Directors for 16 years, former American Bar Association delegate to the House of Delegates (1999-2005), Charles Watkins Leadership Award for sustained service.

COMMUNITY LEADER Northside Methodist United Church member over 30 years, Stephen minister, former church administrative board member, Staff Parish Committee, former Easter Seals V/P, United Way, Atlanta Foundation for Psychoanalysis Executive Committee, former Neighborhood representative to city NPU, former Peachtree Battle Alliance.

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE Rob welcomes the challenges and opportunities to serve his clients, especially those involved in the emotional turmoil of divorce, custody and support, paternity and related matrimonial issues. He enjoys a reputation for understanding while still maintaining his zealous advocacy for his clients. Rob's particular concern is to empathize with the client while being realistic in projecting specific goal-oriented results.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE In serving on various boards, such as the Atlanta Foundation For Psychoanalysis, Rob has gained insight on the specialized needs of his clients. In teaching and moderating continuing legal education forums, he remains on the cutting edge of the profession. As his continual service to the profession demonstrates, Rob has shown his commitment to providing the highest quality service while engaging his clients in an efficient, just, and realistic resolution of the client's matter.

SUPERLAWYER, LEGAL ELITE, WHO'S WHO ... He has been named an Atlanta Magazine "Superlawyer" for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 edition. In 2006, he was named by Georgia Trend Magazine as a "Legal Elite," one of Georgia's Top Lawyers. He has made the Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Law for 20+ years. He has received the Charles Watkins Award given by Atlanta Bar Association and is a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation, whose membership is comprised of the top 3% of each state's bar membership. He has also received Martindale-Hubbell's top rating of AV for 20+ years.

PLEDGE Rob has the expertise, experience, and affability to represent motivated clients to obtain the best possible result with an empathetic, efficient, and commonsense approach. He will commit the time, energy, and single-mindedness to the client in order for the client to be able to move forward in his/her life with the best possible result.

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Links:

https://www.wellonfamilylaw.com/

https://eofamilylaw.com/

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

This week, Robin and Lester interview Professor Eric D. Segall, Professor of Law at Georgia State University about Appellate Law practice, what that is and what that means.

Guest Bio:

Eric J. Segall graduated from Emory University, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, and from Vanderbilt Law School, where he was the research editor for the Law Review and member of Order of the Coif. He clerked for the Chief Judge Charles Moye Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Albert J. Henderson of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. After his clerkships, Segall worked for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and the U.S. Department of Justice, before joining the Georgia State faculty in 1991.

Segall teaches federal courts and constitutional law I and II. He is the author of the books Originalism as Faith and Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is not a Court and its Justices are not Judges. His articles on constitutional law have appeared in, among others, the Harvard Law Review Forum, the Stanford Law Review On Line, the UCLA Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, and Constitutional Commentary among many others.

Segall’s op-eds and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, SLATE, Vox, Salon, and the Daily Beast, among others. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and France 24 and all four of Atlanta’s local television stations. He has also appeared on numerous local and national radio shows.

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Links:

Read Professor Segall's Books

Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges

Originalism as Faith

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

This week, Robin and Lester interview John D. Hadden. 

Guest Bio:

John D. Hadden is the owner and founder of the Hadden Law Firm. An experienced trial and appellate lawyer, he is author of three respected treatises on Georgia litigation practice: Green's Georgia Law of Evidence, Georgia Law of Torts - Trial Preparation and Practice, and Georgia Magistrate Court Handbook, all published by Thomson Reuters Westlaw. He is also the author of the Evidence chapter in the multi-volume national Thomson Reuters treatise Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases, 2nd Edition. These books are relied upon by lawyers and judges in Georgia for their analysis of Georgia law. He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars in Georgia and is author of numerous articles in legal publications.

John has handled a wide variety of trial and appellate matters in the state and federal courts of Georgia, including representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases and the prosecution and defense of felony and misdemeanor criminal matters. Before founding the firm, he was a litigator at a prominent Atlanta firm, where he represented numerous commercial and business interests and defended clients in personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage claims. He now concentrates his practice on catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims. A native of Jefferson and Glascock Counties (near Augusta), John handles cases around the state of Georgia. He lives with his wife, daughter, and son in Atlanta.

John is president of the Atlanta Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, where he is Chair-elect of the Litigation Section (previously serving as secretary and treasurer), and a Champion member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, where he is chairman of the Amicus Curiae Committee, assisting attorneys from around the state in matters before appellate courts. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice New Lawyers Division and is past chair of the Litigation Committee of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division. He is a Master in Emory University School of Law's Lamar American Inn of Court.

Read Their Full Bio

Links:

The Hadden Law Firm

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

This week, Robin and Lester interview investigative journalist Joshua Sharpe of The  Atlanta Journal-Constitution on how he helped expose the wrongful conviction of Dennis Perry.  

Links:

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

This week, Robin and Lester interview Appellate law specialist Michael B. Terry.

Guest Bio:

Mike Terry represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial and appellate matters, as well as class actions. Over the past 15 years, his practice has focused heavily on appellate litigation, particularly in the areas of class actions and punitive damages. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, an organization founded to advance the highest standards and practices of appellate advocacy and to recognize outstanding appellate lawyers.

Mike recently argued and achieved a 7-0 victory before the Georgia Supreme Court in a challenge to the constitutionality of the state’s caps on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases. In 2016, Mike argued and achieved a 7-0 reversal of the denial of class certification for a class of consumers alleging they had been charged usurious fees by their Bank. In 2015 Mike was selected by the Council of State Court Judges of Georgia to represent that body in a Georgia Supreme Court challenge to actions taken by Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission. That case remains pending.

A strong supporter of the Atlanta legal community, he recently served as president of the Atlanta Bar Association, where he set a focus on judicial funding and services for lawyers in transition. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia. Mike is a frequent lecturer and author on business litigation topics including class actions, punitive damages and appellate issues. He is also often asked to moderate debates and panel discussions involving judges.

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Links:

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

Robin and Lester interview Jay Cook of Cook & Tolley, LLP. 

Guest Bio:

J. Vincent “Jay” Cook is the firm’s founder and managing partner, a veteran trial lawyer, and a respected leader in Georgia’s legal community. Jay has been specializing in medical malpractice since the 1970s, while continuing to handle a variety of other personal injury and general civil litigation cases.

A native of Savannah, Jay is a past president of the State Bar of Georgia; president of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation; and former president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Georgia Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Western Circuit Bar Association. Jay teaches the medical malpractice course at his alma mater, the University of Georgia School of Law.

Over the years, Jay has earned a reputation as a zealous advocate for individuals and families. His ability to get to the core of the issues in a case and hold a jury’s focus there has resulted in many successes at trial and through settlement.

Jay has written and edited numerous publications on the law and frequently teaches medical malpractice and other legal topics at continuing education courses. Additionally, Jay regularly writes op-eds on legal and consumer issues for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other newspapers around the state.

Jay is a proud father to Leanne Wallace of Savannah and Jay W. Cook, another partner at the firm. One of his greatest joys is being his grandchildren’s “Cookie.”

Jay has an AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

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Links:

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

Robin and Lester interview Congressman George "Buddy" Darden.

Guest Bios:

George (Buddy) Darden joined Pope McGlamry in February 2018 where he became a member of our qui tam/false claims practice. Mr. Darden focuses on the areas of significant fraud, class actions, tort cases and white-collar matters.

Darden was first elected District Attorney for Cobb County in 1972 and next elected to the Georgia State House of representatives. In 1983 he was elected in a special election as a Representative to the United States Congress, where he served five additional terms.

After Congress, Darden served as a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1996, 2000, and 2004 and was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Mr. Darden later served as the chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission during the administration of Governor Roy Barnes and served on numerous boards, including the Board of Trustees for LaGrange College. Beginning in 2009, he chaired the judicial selection committee in Georgia for the Obama Administration.

From 1995 until joining Pope McGlamry, Buddy was a partner with Long Aldridge and its successor firms, now Dentons. In 2010, he received the Tradition of Excellence Award from the State Bar of Georgia.

Buddy and his wife, Lillian, live in Marietta and are celebrating their fiftieth year of marriage this year. They are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.

Links:

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Description:

Robin and Lester host a panel of experts discussing jury trials in the time of Coronavirus. Guests include Judge Carla Brown, Matt Moffett and Chris Clark.

Guest Bios:

Judge Carla Brown

Carla Brown has served as a Gwinnett County State Court Judge since being appointed in 2003 by then-Governor Sonny Perdue. She has been re-elected to this position four (4) times. She is running for re-election on the May 2020 Ballot.

Prior to taking the State Court bench, Judge Brown had a wealth of judicial experience, including:

- Associate Judge for the City of Suwanee - Judge for Gwinnett County State Court (by Designation) - Associate Judge for the City of Lilburn (continuous service since 1998)

Judge Brown, along with her colleagues, worked to establish Gwinnett County's DUI Court, designed to provide intensive supervision and treatment to DUI offenders with multiple convictions. DUI courts have been shown to successfully lower the recidivism rate to offenders. In 2016, she worked with colleagues and established a State Court accountability program for veterans charged with misdemeanors. This program, called the Veteran's Intervention Program (VIP), was developed in conjunction with the Solicitor General of Gwinnett. It offers resources and guidance to our veterans who are facing legal issues within the State Court. VIP became a fully-certified program by the Council of Accountability Court Judges in 2018 and holds bi-monthly court sessions for its participants.

Matt Moffett

Matt Moffett is a civil defense trial lawyer of 29 years, having tried well over 100 cases involving serious injury or death. He is listed among the top 100 lawyers in Georgia in Atlanta Magazine and among the Legal Elite in Georgia in Georgia Trend magazine.

Over the last several years, Matt has secured defense verdicts in many wrongful death and serious injury cases. One notable defense verdict occurred in a wrongful death case where the plaintiff attorney asked the jury to award $20 million. His last seven defense verdicts were in cases wherein each plaintiff attorney asked for either a seven or eight-figure jury award.

Matt is a past president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and a current faculty member of the GDLA Trial Academy. He also serves as the state representative (Georgia) for the Defense Research Institute.

Over the last ten years, Matt has been the keynote speaker at the annual meetings of many legal organizations. From Florida to Washington, he has presented on effective and professional trial practice.

Matt is a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA) and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a Fellow of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, which supports public service projects that assist youth, provides pro bono legal services, and promotes higher education through scholarships. He also is a current board member for Action Ministries, an organization that mobilizes communities to address the challenges of poverty by focusing on hunger relief, housing and education.

Chris Clark

Chris represents severely injured individuals, or the families of persons killed through negligence. He has handled numerous cases against commercial trucking companies, nursing homes, product manufacturers, hospitals, insurance companies and other businesses. A large portion of his work is referred by other lawyers and law firms seeking assistance with substantial and complex personal injury matters.

Chris received “Best Lawyers in America” designation each year since 2009 and is listed as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the field of personal injury. He has been selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer each year since 2007. In September 2009, the Atlanta Business Chronicle selected Chris as one of “The 100 Most Influential Individuals Who Help Shape & Guide Atlanta’s Legal Industries.” Chris was a Governor for the State Bar of Georgia from 2011-2017. Chris was president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, President of the Macon Bar Association from 2008-2009, and President of the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association from 1999-2000. The Traditions of Excellence and Service Award was presented to Chris at the Annual State Bar Meeting in June of 2018.

Links:

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

See You In Court is a production of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation whose mission is to educate the public about the Georgia Civil Justice System and their rights within the system.

To learn more about the Foundation and the Civil Justice System, visit fairplay.org

See You In Court is hosted by Robin Frazer Clark and Lester Tate.

Robin Frazer Clark

Robin is a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA. She has been practicing law in Georgia for 31 years, all in personal injury.

Robin is a past president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and served as the 2012-13 President of the State Bar of Georgia, which consists of about 55,000 lawyers.* She is also a past president of Lawyers Club of Atlanta and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Robin graduated from Vanderbilt University and Emory University School of Law.

She is married and is the mother of two adult children.

You may find out more about Robin at her website gatriallawyers.net and on her blog atlantainjurylawyerblog.com. Robin is also on Facebook as Robin Frazer Clark, P.C. and on Twitter as @robinfclark.

*The State Bar of Georgia is the mandatory bar association that every lawyer who practices in Georgia, including judges, must belong to practice law in this state.

Lester Tate

Lester is the principal and owner of the law firm of Akin & Tate located in Cartersville, Georgia. He has practiced law in Georgia since 1987. His practice consists of most everything, including personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense.

Lester served as the 48th president of the State Bar of Georgia and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and Lawyers Club of Atlanta. He serves on the Board of the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Literature, Media, and Communication. He also worked in Congress as the Press Secretary for Congressman Buddy Darden.

Lester graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology and from the University of South Carolina Law School. He is the father of two adult children.

You may learn more about Lester on his website akintate.com