The Atlanta Lawyer October/November 2015 | Page 26

SECTION UPDATE Solo Practitioner/Small Firm Section By Robert S. Huestis Huestis Law, LLC [email protected] T he Solo Practitioner Small Firm Section has been off to a great start this year. Our monthly breakfasts at The Buckhead Club and lunches at Gordon Biersch in Midtown have been well attended due, no doubt, to an excellent slate of speakers and topics. The Georgia State Bar loaned us Natalie Kelly for one of our first breakfasts. She spoke on disaster planning and provided some excellent insights into proactive measures to be taken by the small law office in crisis situations. More recently, one of our Board Members, Jim Yeargan, spoke about a different type of disaster planning. As a DUI law practitioner, Jim gave us some tips for what to do when your client’s son or daughter gets arrested. Jim’s talk was informative, interactive and a lot of fun. The SPSF Section has also continued its commitment to the pro bono activities and efforts of its membership. Mike Monahan, also from the State Bar, spoke to us about putting more pro bono into our business plans. One of the pro bono initiatives near and dear to the SPSF Section (and, indeed, to many members of the Atlanta and Georgia Bars) is the Truancy Intervention Project. In addition to Mike’s excellent advice on budgeting time to support pro bono initiatives, one of our highlights this fall was Judge Glenda Hatchett, who spoke about her experiences with TIP. As one of the early advocates for TIP, Judge Hatchett regaled the Section with success stories and heartwarming tales over the last 20 years, as TIP has grown into a successful and vibrant organization. As an added bonus, we were entertained by stories from Judge Hatchett’s years as a television personality. Many thanks to Adrian Wright and Karen Cloud of TIP, as well as our Emeritus Member, Rob Wellon, in encouraging Judge Hatchett to be with us and for facilitating the relationship between the Atlanta Bar Association and the Truancy Interven