The Atlanta Lawyer October 2014 | Page 12

Celebrating Service CELEBRATING SERVICE AWARDS 2014 Award Recipients and Guest Speaker T he 2014 Atlanta Bar Association Celebrating Service Awards will take place on Friday, October 17, 2014 at the Piedmont Driving Club. The event will include a pro bono fair with representatives from 22 organizations available to talk about their programs and their need for volunteers. Additionally, a luncheon will be help to recognize recipients of the Community Service, Public Service, Pro Bono and Public Interest Awards. Public Service Award: Judge Cynthia D Wright Significant contributions by an elected or appointed official or other public servant who has advanced the fair administration of justice in our community and fostered professionalism and ethics in the political, legislative or judicial process. Judge Cynthia Wright is a lifetime public servant. Prior to taking the bench, Cynthia Wright served the citizens of Georgia as legal counsel for two Georgia Governors: George Busbee and Zell Miller. After leaving the executive branch, Judge Wright joined the judiciary and has worked on behalf of the citizens of Fulton County with dedication and integrity for nearly 20 years. Judge Wright served on the Fulton County State Court from 1995-96 and the Fulton County Superior Court from 1996-2014. She led the creation of the Fulton County Family Court Division which addresses the needs of children and families, and adjudicates divorces and child custody cases. In 2009, Judge Wright’s colleagues elected her Chief Judge, a role she held for four years. During her time as Chief Judge, Judge Wright worked with her counterparts at the Fulton County State Court to improve the efficiency of the court system to make it more accessible and effective for the general public. She oversaw the expansion of the Fulton County Drug Court, established a Veteran’s Court, assumed responsibility for a federally funded Re-entry Court and personally started and presided over the Parental Accountability Court. Additionally, she is an active supporter of Covenant House which serves the homeless in our community. Community Service Award: Nekia Hackworth Jones Significant contributions for participating or coordinating a community service project adopted, created or sponsored by the Atlanta Bar Association or one of its Sections. Nekia Hackworth Jones has worked in the Economic Crimes Section and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s 12 THE ATLANTA LAWYER October 2014 office. She has lectured on economic crimes and human trafficking across the United States and Asia and is currently working with sister bar, GABWA (Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys), on a program to educate the public and the profession about problem and effects of sex trafficking in Atlanta. Sinc H