LAW SCHOOL LIFE
THE LEADER OF LEADERS
By Erik J. Provitt
3L, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
W
ith the inherent pressures that come with being a law student and the option of the more
prestigious “resume-building” positions on Law
Review and Moot Court, it might certainly be easier to let the “wolves govern themselves” than
to assume a role as a leader within the Student Bar Association at their respective law schools. Yet James
Banter (Mercer), Travis Foremen(AJMLS), Quinn Kane(GSU),
Seth Parker(Emory), and Ben Ralston (UGA), the 2015-2016
SBA Presidents of Georgia’s five ABA-approved law schools
each made the decision to lead the effort to represent more
effectively the interests of their law school’s student bodies. The
importance of service and the duty that comes with it seems to
be the calling card of this group of leaders, with one planning
to serve in the United States Navy and two others who served
their SBAs in other capacities over the course of their law
school careers. When asked why he decided to run for SBA
President, Travis Forman, 3L at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law
School said, “I had served my peers as SBA representative
during my first two years of law school and felt I was the right
person to lead our student body through changes that were
occurring at our law school. We had just acquired a new dean
“Now is the
accepted time, not
and there were new faces on our staff. I knew that my
tomorrow, not some more
In Safe Hands
career and life experience equipped me with
While there is a Webster’s Dictionary definition of leaderthe tools to help ensure that the transiconvenient season. It is today
ship, it is safe to say there is no prototypical representation went smoothly for our student body.”
of leadership. Leadership comes in many shapes
that our best work can be done tion
and sizes and requires a “strong element of humbleto be effective”. Quinn Kane, 3L at Georgia State
A Way to Give Back
and not some future day or future ness
believes the definition of leadership is “someone who
These leaders agree that their roles have been reabout who they are leading.” While a discussion
warding and a way to give back to their law school
year. It is today that we fit ourselves cares
regarding leadership will continue long past the
communities. For example, James Banter, 3L at
words on this page, the current state of the legal proMercer Law School, helped establish the school’s
for the greater usefulness of to- fession
is in safe hands with this group of leaders.
inaugural Mental Health Week to inform and eduForeman’s favorite quote likely sums up the essence of
cate students about mental health issues as well
morrow. Today is the seed time, this
group. “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not
as provide support and resources. If Mr. Banter has
some more convenient season. It is today that our best
some sense of personal achievement, the nexus of
now are the hours of work, and work
can be done and not some future day or future year. It
that achievement stems from the fact that his efforts will
is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tohelp students at Mercer Law School for years to come.
tomorrow comes the har- morrow.
Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and
tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.” - W.E.B. DuBois ■
vest and the playtime.”
W.E.B. DuBois
James Banter, Travis Foreman, Quinn Kane, Seth Parker, and Ben Ralston are the 2015-2016 SBA Presidents of
Georgia’s five ABA approved law schools.
Each of these distiguished students has agreed to
assume the responsibility of, if not one similar to, the
constitution of this state’s oldest law school.
James Banter
Mercer University School of Law
16
April 2016
Travis Foreman
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
Quinn Kane
Georgia State University
Seth Parker
Emory Law
Ben Ralston
University of Georgia Law
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association THE ATLANTA LAWYER
17