IN THE PROFESSION
PHOTO CREDIT : ETSY
Professionalism and Pet Peeves in the Courtroom ______________________________________________________________
HON . KIMBERLY K . ANDERSON DeKalb County State Court kanderson @ dekalbcountyga . gov
E very year ( often coinciding with the March 30 , 2023 deadline for CLE hours ) judges across Georgia are often asked to either lead a 1-hour professionalism discussion or sit on a CLE panel for those lawyers who need the ever-elusive 1 hour of ethics and professionalism credit . Fortunate to be tasked with imparting my “ wisdom ” on a captured audience , I conducted an unofficial and unscientific survey of state court judges across Georgia , asking for their biggest “ pet peeves ” both in and out of the courtroom .
Before I reveal my findings , it is important to lay the governing principles lawyers should keep in mind during their dayto-day interaction with clients , opposing counsel , and the judiciary . The State Bar has established not only set rules and regulations , but also guiding principles all lawyers should follow during litigation . The “ Lawyer ’ s Creed ”— adopted by the Supreme
Court of Georgia in 1992 and incorporated into the State Bar Rules and Regulations — establishes guiding principles regarding a Georgia lawyer ’ s obligations to his or her client , opposing counsel , and the judiciary . Among other things , the “ Lawyer ’ s Creed ” provides :
To my clients , I offer faithfulness , competence , diligence , and good judgment . I will strive to represent you as I would want to
10 April / May 2023