The Atlanta Lawyer June/July 2012 | Page 12

atlanta bar foundation LawJam 2012 Winners Announced 3rd Annual Battle of the Atlanta Lawyers’ Bands By Sally Hogsette Executive Director, Atlanta Bar Foundation O n Saturday evening, June 9, 2012 at Variety Playhouse, a record-breaking crowd of more than 800 lawyers, judges, sponsors, summer associates and guests attended LawJam 2012, presented by the Atlanta Bar Foundation. With emcee Bert Reeves of Turner Bachman & Garrett, introducing the bands and keeping the action going, the enthusiastic audience enjoyed great performances and ferocious competition from eight exceptionally talented bands, including Along For The Ride, Class Action, Marshall Seese and the Abandoned, R&B Inc., Section 8, Signal Flow, Specific Deviations and The Working Class. In the middle of the evening, the audience was entertained by a stellar solo acoustic performance from former touring musician/now lawyer and LawJam Stage Director, Brenton E. Hund of Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Also, William M. Ragland, Jr., Immediate Past President of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, and Rita A. Sheffey, Immediate Past President of Atlanta Bar Association, took the stage to thank the audience for their generous support and to highlight the recipients of the proceeds, including the Atlanta Bar Association youth programs (such as the Summer Law Internship Program and Minority & Diversity Clerkship Program) and Atlanta-area pro bono providers. According to Bill Ragland, “LawJam is about having fun and aiding our Foundation’s mission at the same time. Proceeds will provide critical funds for pro bono services and youth programs supported by the Atlanta Bar Foundation.” Throughout the evening, the spirit of rock 'n roll and rhythm & blues permeated the theatre, with the packed crowd dancing and pressing up to the stage, and enthusiastic "Chicagostyle voting" ($1 per vote) for favorite bands pouring into the bands’ voting boxes. An esteemed panel of judges, including prominent entertainment lawyers Darryl B. Cohen of Cohen Cooper Estep & Allen and Lisa F. Moore of The Moore Firm and Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, and popular radio host Kaedy Kiely of 97.1 FM, The River, fueled the competition by mixing 12 THE ATLANTA LAWYER June/July 2012 shogsette@a [