Ask the Board ______________________________________________________________
Who is a Member of Your Support Team that Did Something and It Blew You Away ?
E . Tyron Brown
Atlanta Bar Association Hawkins Parnell & Young LLP
Jena G . Emory
CLE Board of Trustees Copeland Stair Valz & Lovell LLP
Kevin C . Patrick
Atlanta Bar Association Kevin Patrick Law
My 2022 Summer Law Intern , Sa ’ Real McRea , proved to be an invaluable member of our team . I was preparing for a trial and gave her research and writing assignments to be incorporated into various motions . Her research was so thorough , accompanied by honoed writing skills , that I did not have to make any changes to her memorandums .
McRea ' s research formed the foundation for stances I took in the case leading up to and during trial , which we won . She also prepared an article on the recent Supreme Court of Georgia case on the Apex Doctrine . That article will be published in a Litigation Section newsletter this Fall . McRea also prepared an article on the back-tolife story of Charles Medlin , named partner at Bovis Kyle Burch & Medlin LLC .
All of these projects , in six short weeks , were completed by a young person who just graduated from high school . No doubt I was very impressed .
I do not have a crazy story of a deadline almost being missed or a midnight filing . I hope that I am not putting that kind of pressure on my support staff ! I am appreciative of the way my support staff allows me to do my job every day , by filing documents , scheduling depositions , and sending out letters . It is so nice to work with people who try to help when a situation arises , instead of casting blame .
Lawyers get a reputation for thinking that the world revolves around them , but we are often there to work for our clients and part of a team at the office with our staff .
One instance in particular that stands out to me is from years ago as an associate at my former firm . The paralegal on the case took the time to arrange for our client , who was coming in from out of town for a deposition , to go to a Braves game and then dinner with his family . This gesture made the client and his family feel welcomed to Georgia , and most importantly , valued and appreciated .
Lillian N . Caudle
Atlanta Bar Association Mercedes-Benz USA LLC
I just returned from a long overseas trip , and a great support team is one that is competent and interconnected enough to keep things moving smoothly in my absence . Not only did they give me the opportunity to enjoy my vacation , but their performance reminded me that my mission is to guide the strategy of the department ; they have the day-to-day very much under control .
www . atlantabar . org THE ATLANTA LAWYER 7