The Atlanta Lawyer October 2012 | Page 9

as disabled or mentally ill to secure their protection and advocacy. GAO’s work is mandated by Congress, and GAO has been designated by Georgia as the agency to implement protection and advocacy within the state. Georgia Appleseed Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice joined the national Appleseed network of non-profit, non-partisan, public interest law centers in November, 2005 and on July 1, 2007, became an independent affiliate. Georgia Appleseed connects top private practice lawyers, corporate counsel, law schools, civic leaders, and other professionals throughout Georgia to tackle difficult social problems at their root causes. Georgia Asylum & Immigration Network Our purpose is to provide quality pro bono legal representation to asylum seekers and immigrant victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes through direct representation and pro bono referrals. Georgia Election Protection Coalition We are the Election Protection Legal Committee for the Georgia Election Protection Coalition – a local presence for the National Election Protection Coalition led by the Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers’ Committee is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization formed at the request of President John F. Kennedy. The Legal Committee focuses on helping to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast a ballot and have their vote counted. Georgia Innocence Project (GIP) GIP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit. The Project works to secure post-conviction DNA testing for Georgia inmates where DNA analysis could prove guilt or innocence, and adequate DNA testing was not available at trial. Georgia Justice Project (GJP) GJ