ACYL SIDEBAR
ACYL Presidency and Leadership
Matt J. Simmons Shepherd Law LLC msimmons @ shepherdlaw. net
When the Atlanta Bar asked me to reach out to past Presidents of the ACYL and ask them about what their time as President taught them about being a leader, it got me thinking. While my term as President is not yet over, I can say without hesitation that all the time, effort, and thought I have invested and continue to commit to my role was and is well worth it. As a direct result of my current position, I have learned so much about myself as well as the members of this great section. Further, I have been able to hone my leadership skills and my ability both to motivate and harness the skills of those around me.
I implore you to get involved and – when you feel ready – take on a leadership role in a section of the Atlanta Bar that most interests you. Trust me, you will not regret it!
Holly Hempel, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
ACYL President 2008-09
As a past President of the ACYL, I credit the Atlanta Bar and the ACYL with the development of many skills that have positively impacted my career. Some of the most important of these are:
• How to run a board meeting – Be efficient and stay on a well-thought agenda.
• Have an elevator speech – Be able to explain, at an elementary level, what you do for your job so that any listener learns your value and how they and others may use your services.
• Personal branding – It is never too early as a young attorney to focus on your work identity and define who you are and who you want to be in your work environment and legal career.
• Being involved in the Atlanta Bar and the legal community is a great thing! – I made contacts while involved in the ACYL that I would not have made without the ACYL. Some contacts have become wonderful friends and / colleagues, mentors, mentees, referral sources, and clients. I encourage participation in the ACYL and other Atlanta Bar committees and activity.
Steven Wagner, E. E. O. C.
ACYL President 2010-11
Being president of the ACYL taught me what works as a leader and what does not. It all starts with you. If you are not organized, if you do not have a clear direction or goal, you cannot be an effective leader. When I was president of the ACYL, we typically had one Board meeting a month, so most everything we did had to be done in that meeting. I had to be organized and ready to go so that those meetings were efficient and effective. What I learned was that if you are organized and do what you say you will do and people see that, people will respond positively to you and do what you ask them to do. If you give people clear directions and goals so they understand what they need to do and why, people will be responsive and accomplish their tasks. The more you set a good example yourself and the more clear your leadership is, the more likely that those you are leading will be successful. That is the mark of a good leader.
Kristin Zielmanski, Zielmanski Law LLC
ACYL President 2013-14
I did not go to law school in the Atlanta area, and the law firm where I worked only had a couple of associates. As a result, being a part of the ACYL gave me the opportunity to form strong connections with my peers and to feel like I was a part of the larger Atlanta legal community.
Friends I have made through being involved in the leadership of the ACYL have been invaluable to me in my legal career. Being able to serve as President of the ACYL was a great opportunity for me to develop leadership skills. I think lawyers tend to be people who want to do everything themselves, but as a leader, you learn that you must depend on others to help you.
During my term, our ACYL Board Members organized several successful social events, breakfasts, and CLEs, and accomplished significant fundraising as well. Serving as President of the ACYL has also led to my desire to stay connected and
28 February 2017