President ' s Message :
I n recent years , it has been all too easy for me to lose faith in our democracy and in the commitment of my fellow citizens , elected officials , and lawyers as a whole to do both the right thing and their part to ensure the stability and continuation of our form of government . I have been disgusted by the stories of elected officials and lawyers putting political ideology above country , oath , and duty , and disheartened by the lack of public incredulity when these incredible actions came to light . Although I had previously enjoyed the intellectual challenge of robust political debate and discussion of differing philosophies , I have found myself paying less attention to the news than I once did and decreasing my engagement with local government over time . In short , attempting to make sense of the rhetoric and tenor of politics and machinations of our government made me so frustrated that I simply stopped believing civil disagreement , discussion , and compromise were possible .
EMILY C . WARD Continuum Legal Group LLP eward @ continuumlg . com
Thankfully , my numbness to the outrageous and apathy towards the importance of my participation in our future was fleeting . Something about being Bar President and having a front-row seat to witness the incredible good that people — most especially lawyers — across Atlanta work together to achieve every day gave me the spark of hope I was missing .
Nurturing that spark , a few weeks ago , I penned a message to our Bar explaining my belief that lawyers have a special role and responsibility to each other , our community , and our country to ensure that each eligible citizen can vote in free , fair , and efficient elections . I called on those lawyers who were able and willing to serve to use their unique skills and position in our society to help make this November ’ s election a success . While I was tentatively hopeful that a few dozen people would respond to this call to action and I could then say this initiative was somewhat successful , I never expected the resounding response we received .
4 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2024
In total , more than 110 lawyers representing small firms , big law , in-house counsel , and all levels of government signed up to be Provisional Ballot clerks in Fulton County . I also heard from dozens more who were interested in