Debra DeBerry
Clerk of Superior Court
DeKalb County
Proud Title Sponsor of the
DeKalb Lawyers Association 2
2020
DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION FUND, (DLACEF) INC. A 501(c)(3) Organization Tax ID: 26-3422672
P.O. Box 722 Decatur, Georgia 30031 November 6, 2020 Erica Wilson, Esq., President-Elect DeKalb Lawyers Association P.O. Box 2403 Decatur, Georgia 30031 Dear Attorney Wilson: On behalf of the Board of Directors of the DeKalb Lawyers Association Community and Education Fund (DLACEF), we extend sincere congratulations to the scholarship recipients as well as to the incoming officers of DLA. Although we are unable to gather in person this year, DLA is to be commended for “pivoting during the pandemic” to carry on its annual tradition of providing financial resources to deserving law students. The future members of the legal profession being honored today need the support and encouragement of the DeKalb Lawyers Association as they set their intentions and determine how they will take up their leadership as future litigators, advocates and vanguards for justice. In this current space of social and political unrest, economic uncertainty and generalized fear and anxiety as we ponder our collective future, the 2020 DeKalb Lawyers Association Annual Scholarship Breakfast is providing a much-needed measure of reassurance and stability by way of this virtual platform. The simple, yet profound, message it conveys is that the organization remains viable, relevant and as resolute as ever. The Board of DLACEF stands ready to partner with DLA, in this and future endeavors, in furtherance of its mission. Respectfully submitted,
gxÅ|~t jA `âÜÜç Temika W. Murry, President DeKalb Lawyers Association Community & Education Fund
CONGRESSMAN HANK JOHNSON Georgia’s Fourth District
November 14, 2020 Dear Friends and Colleagues: Greetings from the 116th Congress! On behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Georgia, it is an honor to welcome you to the DeKalb Lawyers Association 2019 Donald L. Hollowell Annual Scholarship Program. Empowering our community since its founding, the DeKalb Lawyers Association has worked with community leaders, business owners and educators to make a difference in the lives of students in the study of law. DeKalb County is home of many prominent African-American attorneys and judges whose acts of service throughout the years are making a difference in the judicial system. The work of the DeKalb Lawyers Association is a point of pride for our county. Their leadership, service and scholarships are making a difference in the lives of thousands of residents. The DeKalb Lawyers Association is ensuring that justice is afforded to all and that young legal scholars are able to continue in their legal studies. Since its founding, the DeKalb Lawyers Association has been a cornerstone of justice and support, providing a professional home for attorneys and judges throughout the county. Since its inception, this organization has served as an invaluable resource for the legal profession by upholding the honor and integrity of our legal community. I am truly honored to have this organization and its members in my district. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients. Thank you DeKalb Lawyers Association for your leadership, servitude, scholarships and unwavering dedication. Wishing the best to all for an outstanding, inspiring and uplifting program. With best regards, I remain Very truly yours,
Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. Member of Congress
CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT DeKalb County Courthouse 556 North McDonough Street Decatur, Georgia 30030
DEBRA DEBERRY
CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT
FAX:
404/371-2251 404/371-4492
November 14, 2020 DeKalb Lawyers Associa1on P.O. Box 2403 Decatur, Georgia 30031-2403 Dear DLA Members and Friends: As DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, it is my great honor and privilege to welcome all of you to the annual Donald L. Hollowell Legacy Award Scholarship Breakfast in honor of his great work and many years of service as a civil rights aGorney. I celebrate this year’s theme: “The Year of RestoraOon.” As a public servant, I admire the DeKalb Lawyer AssociaOon’s mission to promote the growth and development of minority aGorneys and to strengthen the social and economic fiber of this community. Since DLA’s formal founding in February 1985, the organizaOon has maintained their tradiOon rooted in the theory that those once helped, should help others. Thank you for your commitment and best wishes for another successful scholarship breakfast.
RespecNully,
Debra DeBerry Clerk, Superior Court
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
SHERRY BOSTON
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit DeKalb County Courthouse 556 North McDonough Street, Suite 700 Decatur, Georgia 30030-3356
Telephone 404.371.2561 www.DeKalbDA.org
November 14, 2020
Dear DLA Members and Distinguished Guests: It is my pleasure to welcome you to the DeKalb Lawyers Association’s (DLA) Annual Scholarship Breakfast. The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney joins you in celebrating the achievements of the young legal scholars who are privileged to receive the “Donald L. Howell Legacy Award,” in honor of a true legal giant and trailblazer in the civil rights arena. This year’s theme. “Year of Restoration,” is both appropriate and timely. It also encompasses the essence of DLA’s mission and work. Through its leadership and dedication to advance just causes, DLA has become an important voice and an invaluable resource for the legal community. May the DeKalb Lawyers Association continue to impact our community in a positive manner and inspire all of us to be “Justice Fighters.” Congratulations to the 2020 scholarship recipients and best wishes for a successful event. Sincerely,
Sherry Boston District Attorney Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
DONNA COLEMAN-STRIBLING SOLICITOR-GENERAL OFFICE OF THE DEKALB COUNTY SOLICITOR-GENERAL DEKALB COUNTY COURTHOUSE 556 N. MCDONOUGH STREET, SUITE 500 DECATUR, GEORGIA 30030 November 14, 2020 DeKalb Lawyers Association 214 Executive Building 125 E. Trinity Place Decatur, GA 30030 Dear Friends and Colleagues: The DeKalb Lawyers Association has been a connecting fiber that binds our diverse legal community for more than three decades. I have always been proud of the fact that a goal of this organization is to contribute to building DeKalb attorneys for the future. As we prepare to award these young scholars, I am reminded of what Martin Luther King, Jr. said about the importance of education: The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. ~MLK, Jr. Congratulations to the 2020 Scholarship recipients. Continue to build on the legacy of Dr. King and the tradition of DeKalb Lawyers Association. A special thanks to the DeKalb Lawyers Association for continuing to provide a platform for those of us who have been aided by this organization in the past to pay it forward. Sincerely,
Donna Coleman-Stribling DeKalb County Solicitor-General
WILLIAM K. BODDIE, JR. DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS WHIP REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 62 POST OFFICE BOX 90787 EAST POINT, GEORGIA 30364 EMAIL: william.boddie@house.ga.gov
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COVERDELL LEGISLATIVE OFFICE BUILDING ROOM 609 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30334 404-656-5058 404-463-5081 (FAX)
STANDING COMMITTEES
BUDGET & FISCAL AFFAIRS OVERSIGHT JUDICIARY NON-CIVIL SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ETHICS RULES
Ms. Erica Wilson President-Elect DeKalb Lawyers Association P.O. Box 2403 Decatur, GA 30031 November 14, 2020 Dear Friends and Colleagues, It is my pleasure to congratulate you on your Annual Scholarship Breakfast: Year of Restoration being held Saturday, November 14, 2020 virtually. DLA’S leadership and dedication to advance its mission has left indelible imprint on the legal profession. Within the legal community, you continue to shape the future and support the diversification of the profession by providing financial support to deserving African-American law students having raised thousands of dollars in scholarships. I know that today will be no exception in meeting your goal to fund your outstanding programming and scholarship program. I wish you the greatest success as you continue your work in fulfillment of your mission. Congratulations again! Sincerely,
Representative William K. Boddie, Jr., Esq. Democratic Caucus Whip Georgia House District 62
THE HONORABLE
Penny Brown Reynolds
The Honorable Judge Penny Brown Reynolds is a nationally respected leader, highly dedicated public servant, scholar, former judge, public policy and legal expert, social justice advocate and public theologian. As the first African American in Georgia’s history to serve as the Governor’s attorney, she is an international public figure whose journey is dedicated to the fundamental principles of justice, equality, civic engagement and social justice advocacy. She as served in all three branches of state government, serving as the first African American Chief of Staff and General Counsel to the Lieutenant Governor and Georgia Senate. She has been featured on CNN, HLN, NBC, FOX, PBS, ABC as well as The Huffington Post, USA Today, The Los Angles Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Atlanta Tribune, The Atlanta Daily World, and newspapers throughout the country. Judge Brown Reynolds teaches Criminal Law, Race and the Criminal Justice System and Criminal Procedure at Georgia State University, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, where she was named as the 2020 Instructor of the Year, and has developed educational programs for colleges and universities. She also serves as the 2020 Scholar-inResidence for the APEX Museum. She is a former Assistant Attorney General, District Attorney and Georgia Court of Appeals law clerk. Judge Brown Reynolds’ life-long commitment to academic excellence has been demonstrated as she is currently in the process of completing a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at Nova Southeastern University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, from Georgia State University, after only three years of study, graduating in the top 5% of her class and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Georgia State University College of Law. She graduated first in her class, with highest honors and a perfect 4.0 GPA from the Interdenominational Theological Center (I.T.C.), Atlanta, Georgia, earning a Master’s degree. In addition, she has completed studies at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she earned a certificate in International Women’s Leadership. She was inducted as a member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. During the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the March on Washington, civil and human rights organizations called upon Judge Brown Reynolds to give voice to the issue of “Poverty in America” during this historic occasion. She was selected as one of America’s leading intellectuals by CNN and Essence Magazine for the groundbreaking series, Reclaiming the Dream, in association with the Black in America CNN special. As a Life Member of the NAACP, she is a member of the S.C.L.C. WOMEN’s Board of Directors, The APEX Museum and is the founding chair of the Judicial Section of the Gate City Bar Association, an affiliate of the National Bar Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Judge Brown Reynolds was inducted into the Gate City Bar Association Hall of Fame. She is the best-selling author of several books, Co-Editor of Women and the Law: A Guide to Women’s Legal Rights in Georgia and has several published articles, including an article appearing in the Huffington Post. She has served as President Emeritus of the Georgia Chapter of the International Women’s Forum and serve on the IWF President’s Council. Judge Brown Reynolds is admitted to practice law in the state of Georgia and is a licensed Mediator/ Arbitrator. She received an Emmy-Nomination as Executive Producer and host of her nationally syndicated court series, Family Court with Judge Penny. She speaks and lectures at colleges, universities and conferences around
the country. Judge Brown Reynolds is President and CEO of Divine Destiny Enterprises, LLC and The JP Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families, women, youth and children and providing a voice for the poor. She is the founder of the annual Judge Penny’s SisterTalk: A Women’s Empowerment Conference. She is married to the Rev. Edward S. Reynolds, Pastor, Midway Missionary Baptist Church where she serves as Associate Pastor. They have two grown sons and two granddaughters, Pelly-Marie and Kenna Makeda.
DOCTOR RASHAD RICHEY Dr. Rashad Richey’s intelligent and opinionated delivery style led him to being voted “Best Talk Radio Personality in Atlanta” by readers of the Atlanta JournalConstitution for his weekly morning show on News & Talk 1380-WAOK (7am-10am) and named “Most Trusted Voice in Atlanta Radio” by readers of the Atlanta Business Journal. Rashad is also the Political/Social Commentator for The People’s Station V-103, the nations’ largest urban station. When Rashad is not on radio, he’s on television as the Political Analyst for CBS 46 News and Peachtree TV Atlanta, where he provides insightful commentary, special reporting and breakdowns of local and national news. Rashad was nominated for an Emmy Award for his riveting television news coverage of a small Georgia town still dealing with the very real effects of racism and systemic segregation. Nationally, Rashad is a regular commentator on MSNBC and the Fox News Channel, providing insightful commentary on social justice and political matters. Beyond broadcasting, Rashad serves as the Chief Editor-AtLarge and Sr. Writer for Rolling Out Magazine, which has a national millennial readership of 2.2 million and is the largest free print urban publication in America. Rolling Out is also home of the popular podcast, Sucka Free with Rashad Richey and Friends. Believing service is what connects humanity, Rashad serves on the Board of Directors for Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, Recover Consultants of Atlanta (a federally funded drug treatment center and medical clinic) and Children’s Rights (a policy and legal advocacy organization dedicated to the rights of children). Rashad is also an active volunteer with STAND, Inc., Liberty Church Mentoring Program and Fulton County CASA. Before becoming a media juggernaut, Rashad was the Political Director and Chief Strategist for the Democratic Party of Georgia. He later became their first African-American lobbyist and successfully lobbied for increased educational funding for GA schools, common-sense criminal justice reform and anti-human sex trafficking laws. Rashad is also a noted entrepreneur and investor. His consulting firm, Richey and Richey Consulting, LLC provides policy related and solution-based services to a wide array of clients. In 2019, Rashad was named 40 Under 40 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of Georgia’s most influential people. Rashad also landed the cover of Atlanta Business Journal’s commemorative edition titled, “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Atlantans”. As a teenager, Rashad experienced life as a foster child growing up on the tough streets of Atlanta. During those years he encountered true despair, that’s why today he tirelessly advocates to improve the lives of those who are less fortunate. This passion sparked the flame that created The Rashad Richey Foundation, Inc., an organization dedicated to mentoring at-risk youth. This philanthropic endeavor led to Rashad being honored by President Barack Obama with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. Rashad has also received various recognitions
and awards from Fulton County, City of Atlanta, GA Secretary of State, The Rice Awards and many others for excellence in broadcasting and community leadership. Rashad holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Beulah Heights University. He also completed studies in Executive Leadership from Cornell University through their SC College of Business. Rashad’s background and interest in politics and religion led him to undertake doctoral coursework at Scofield Graduate School where his qualitative research focused on The Global Affect of Western Religion on Politics, Policy and Government. After his dissertation was successfully defended and published, Rashad accepted a professorial position at Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, GA where he teaches courses in Business and Leadership Studies. Rashad recently completed his second doctoral degree at Clark Atlanta University where his research included the policy and political analysis of federal higher education legislation reform. Rashad is now attending John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, GA obtaining his law degree and a member of the Student Bar Association. Rashad strives daily to utilize his platforms to leverage equity for others. He is a proud member of the Atlanta Press Club, American Association of University Professors, National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Atlanta NAACP as well as various civic groups. Through the years, Rashad has dedicated his life to ensuring that everyone has a voice, regardless of class, race, age, gender, religion or sexual orientation. He also advocates for others who may not have always made the best decisions, but strive to be better people each day. Through political activism, mentoring, community involvement, leadership development and the power of media, Rashad has seen lives change for the better, including his own.
L. Chris Stewart is the Managing Partner of Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys, a serious injury and wrongful death law firm. Chris handles a variety of cases including wrongful death, civil rights, premises liability, mass torts and sexual assaults. Chris has won numerous record setting jury verdicts and made U.S history when he won the first billion dollar jury verdict for a rape victim. Chris is also recognized worldwide as one of the top civil rights lawyers of his generation. He has represented some of the most famous civil rights cases of this century that were captured on video including Walter Scott, who was shot in the back on video by a police officer. The case settled for $6.5 million dollars the highest in South Carolina history, and the officer received a twenty year prison sentence. Chris also represented Alton Sterling who was held down and killed on video by police in Baton Rouge. Other high-profile cases include Gregory Towns of Georgia, which led to a record settlement and two prison sentences for the officers involved; Chase Sherman of Florida who was killed on video which led to a record settlement, and Deaundre Phillips who was shot on video by police which is still in Court. Attorney Stewart demands not just a monetary award for his clients, but also policing reform to prevent future abuse. Stewart also represents 4 of the most famous cases of 2020 including Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and Taniyah Pilgrim (student who was tased during a peaceful protest in Atlanta). Attorney Stewart is one of the most decorated African-American lawyers in the country having received the Julia Humbles’ Civil Rights Award, the Wiley Branton Award for Leadership, the Outstanding Citizen Award for the State of Georgia, the Georgia Senate Outstanding Public Service Proclamation, the Pinnacle Leadership Award, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Chairman’s Award, the Esquire Award, the R.E. Thomas Civil Rights Award, the first and only African-American voted Attorney of the Year for the State of Georgia. Chris has been featured in international media including CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, Fox News, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Forbes and is a contributor on various media outlets. He travels frequently speaking at a variety of events and schools as the key note speaker. Born and raised in southwest Atlanta, Chris is extremely active in the Atlanta community and is also a board member of the historic Southern Center for Human Rights. He is a double HBCU alumni, graduating from Xavier University (LA) with honors in English, Tulane University with a Master’s of Science in Public Health, and Howard University School of Law. Having overcome reading issues as a youth, Chris embodies his favorite motto “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” Contact Chris at 404-LAW-FIRM cstewart@smstrial.com
www.smsttrial.com
The DeKalb Lawyers Association 32nd Annual Scholarship Breakfast “The Year of Restoration” Master of Ceremony Dr. Rashad Richey Welcome and Acknowledgments
Charles Simmons, Esq.
History of DeKalb Lawyers Association
Video Presentation
Tribute to Judge Clarence F. Seeliger
Video Presentation
PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS Clarence Seeliger Judicial Award Donald Lee Hollowell Legacy Award Hank Johnson, Jr. Congressional Scholarship Award Carl Anthony Cunningham Memorial Scholarship
Victoria Hicks Latrecia New Briana Blakely Anre Johnson
Keynote Address
Judge Penny Brown Reynolds SWEARING IN
Incoming President
Chief Judge Asha Jackson
Officers and Executive Board
Chief Judge Asha Jackson
President’s Inaugural Address
Erica Wilson, Esq.
Special Presentation
Mawuli Davis, Esq.
Mawuli Davis Legal Warrior Award
Miguel Dominquez, Esq.
2020- 2022 Executive Board President Erica Wilson President-Elect Nicole Thomas Treasurer Tif7iney Hodge Secretary Simone Hylton Member at Large Community Service Chair Jill Pope Member at Large (CLE) Ken Lanier Member at Large Miguel Dominquez E. Duane Jones J. Nichole Tucker Lashanda Lennon Lamia Saxby Joyce Neal Member at Large (Judicial) Shondeana C. Morris Scholarship Breakfast Co-Chairs Genet M. Hopewell Rachel St. Fluer Executive Director Karren Manuel Immediate Past President Charles Simmons
DEKALB COUNTY PROBATE COURT JUDGE BEDELIA C HARGROVE
We are honored to serve the citizens of Dekalb County and proud to support the DeKalb Lawyers Association Annual Scholarship Breakfast. NOVEMBER 14, 2020
Congratulations
DeKalb Lawyers Association As you celebrate your Scholarship Breakfast from the Superior Court Judges of DeKalb County
Stacey K. Hydrick, Courtney L. Johnson, Tangela M. Barrie, LaTisha Dear Jackson, Shondeana C. Morris (back row) Mark Anthony Scott, Clarence F. Seeliger, Asha Jackson, Linda Warren Hunter and Gregory A. Adams (front row)
DeKalb County Superior Court Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit 556 N. McDonough Street Decatur, Georgia 30030
Congratulations Scholarship Recipients of the
DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION Annual Scholarship Breakfast
Chief Judge Berryl A. Anderson Magistrate Court of Dekalb County Humbly serving the citizens of Dekalb County for 19 Years
J UD GE GR E G O RY A . A DA MS CONGRATULATES THE PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS OF THE
CARL ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM BOOK SCHOLARSHIP 2005 Marcus Sellers-Mercer University School of Law 2006 Tameka McCoy 2007 Tracee Benzo – John Marshall School of Law 2008 Tamica Norton –Howard University School of Law 2009 Tiffany Mack – North Carolina Central University School of Law 2010 Rhonda Sadler – Mercer University School of Law 2011 Jabari A. Jones – University of the District of Columbia Law School 2012 Khalid Robinson – John Marshall School of Law 2013 Faith Hudson – Mercer University School of Law 2014 Nigel Phiri – Mercer University School of Law 2015 Joseph Collins – Georgia State University School of Law 2016 – Morgan M. Tapp – Emory University School of Law 2017 – Chelsea Wilkerson – John Marshall School of Law 2018- Raquel McGee – Georgia State University School of Law 2019- Taylor Randleman – Emory University School of Law
J UD GE GR E G O RY A . A DA MS Superior Court of DeKalb County Committee to Re-Elect Gregory A. Adams, P.O. Box 2432, Tucker, GA 30085
Donald Hollowell As one of a handful of black lawyers practicing civil rights law in the 1950s and 1960s, Donald Hollowell was instrumental in the movement to desegregate public institutions throughout Georgia. During his long career Hollowell provided counsel to student activists during the Atlanta sit-ins, defended Martin Luther King Jr. and other demonstrators during the Albany Movement, and successfully litigated the landmark case integrating the University of Georgia (UGA). In 1966 he became the first African American regional director of a major federal agency when U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to oversee the southeastern regional office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1938 Hollowell enrolled at Lane College, an all-black school in Jackson, Tennessee, where he excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field as a three-sport athlete. Hollowell first attracted statewide attention in 1956 as lead counsel in a lawsuit filed by Horace T. Ward, a black applicant denied admission to the UGA Law School. Although Ward’s case was ultimately dismissed, Hollowell earned a decisive legal victory against state-sanctioned segregation in higher education in 1959, when he successfully represented three applicants denied admission to the Georgia State College of Business Administration (later Georgia State University). In that case a federal district court judge ruled the school’s admission policies to be unconstitutional, paving the way for a more contentious legal showdown. For his numerous contributions to the cause of civil rights, UGA awarded Hollowell an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2002, and both UGA and Emory University have named professorships in Hollowell’s honor. Over the course of his career, he mentored a number of younger attorneys and civil rights activists, including Ward, Jordan, Marvin Arrington, and Lonnie King. Jordan later called Hollowell “a friend, mentor, boss, idol, and role model.” Hollowell died in Atlanta of heart failure on December 27, 2004
L recia New
DONALD LEE HOLLOWELL LEGACY AWARD Latrecia New is from Atlanta, Georgia where she graduated from Maynard H. Jackson High School. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of West Georgia. Latrecia also received her Master of Social Work with a clinical concentration from the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work. Upon graduation, Latrecia gained employment through her practicum as a community mental health counselor providing therapeutic services for children and families affected by trauma and was then promoted to a position where she provided school-based therapy. Latrecia currently attends the University of Georgia School of Law where she is a second-year law student and now interns in the Western Judicial Circuit's Office of the Public Defender. She desires to further advance Black people through the vehicle of law and champion constructive social change. Latrecia plans to use her social work and law degrees to practice family and criminal law, particularly concerning those affected by trauma.
2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Judge Clarence Seeliger Judge Clarence F. Seeliger was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He attended the University of Washington and graduated with a degree in Political Science in 1963. After graduation, he entered the United States Air Force where he attained the rank of captain. In the fall of 1967, Judge Seeliger entered Emory University Law School, where he interned at the Southern Regional Council, a biracial, multistate organization of lawyers, religious leaders and journalist who opposed segregation encouraged whites to champion equal rights. Judge Seeliger was admitted to the Bar in 1970 and opened a law office in Decatur, Georgia. Judge Seeliger became the first person in DeKalb County to defeat a sitting judge when he challenged DeKalb State Court Judge J. Oscar Mitchell, the judge who sent Martin Luther King Jr. to Reidsville State Prison for violating probation for a $25 traffic ticket. Judge Seeliger later reported that in his third year of practice he was motivated to run after Judge Mitchell directed a rant of racial epithets from the bench at See liger’s 21 one year old client. Four years later, he won the seat and immediately began making groundbreaking changes at the DeKalb County Courthouse. He removed the Confederate flag from the courtroom and hired the bailiff who became the first African American to work for DeKalb State Court in spite of a plethora of calls and a death threat for his actions. Judge Seeliger’s longstanding commitment to civil and human rights has manifested itself in his active involvement with many worthwhile causes, including but not limited to Founding Board member of the DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Chair of the DeKalb County Task Force for Domestic Violence, Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, Vice-Chair of Gender/Racial/Ethnic Fairness to the Judicial Council of Georgia, and a Board Member of Faith Trust Institute, a multi-faith organization dedicated to the eradication of sexual and domestic violence. In 2014 Judge Seeliger has given generously to the DeKalb Lawyers’ Foundation to help fund scholarships to Minority Law Students in DeKalb and throughout the metropolitan area.
Vict iaHicks
JUDGE CLARENCE SEELIGER JUDICIAL AWARD
Victoria Hicks is 3L at the University of Georgia School of Law. A native of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Victoria graduated from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Victoria currently serves as an Executive Editor on the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, Executive Vice-Chair of the Georgia Law Mock Trial Team, and the Student Member-At-Large for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. Upon graduating from law school, Victoria plans to pursue a career in litigation.
2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Carl Anthony Cunningham Memorial Scholarship Carl Anthony Cunningham, Esq. exemplified the best traditions of service and commitment in his professional and community life. A graduate of the University of Georgia Law School, Cunningham started his legal career with the Senior Citizens Law Project of Atlanta Legal Aid in 1984 and subsequently opened his own law practice. In 1988, then Governor Joe Frank Harris appointed him to the Georgia Disability Board. Because of his tremendous advocacy of behalf of disabled people, Cunningham was appointed to the Disability Development Council in 1999. Cunningham did not let his blindness, which occurred while in college at Georgia State University, disable him but rather it provided him with incredible insight into the needs of those with disabilities. He possessed the innate ability to persevere and thrive as an outstanding attorney and advocate. Superior Court Judge and past president of the DeKalb Lawyers Association, Gregory A. Adams, was a classmate of Cunningham. Judge Adams recognized the importance of celebrating individuals who demonstrated positive traits of the human spirit and therefore initiated this scholarship in honor of his friend, C. Anthony Cunningham.
Anré Wa ingtо
CARL ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM MEMORIAL BOOK SCHOLARSHIP
Anré Washington is a third year student at the University of Georgia School of Law. There, Anré serves as the Executive Symposium Editor for the Georgia Law Review. He also is an advocacy team member serving on both Moot Court and Mock Trial teams. He recently won the annual Hulsey-Gambrell Moot Court Competition. Prior to Law School he served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Anré is originally from Hinesville, Georgia but considers Atlanta home. After graduation he will be working as a litigator at Andersen, Tate, & Carr.
2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HANK JOHNSON, JR Now beginning his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District – which encompasses parts of DeKalb, Gwinnett and Newton counties and all of Rockdale county – Congressman Hank Johnson has distinguished himself as a substantive, effective lawmaker and a leading national progressive voice. Named one of the most effective Democrats in congress by a University of Virginia and the University of Vanderbilt study, Rep. Johnson has proven his ability to get things done. In 2017 at the launch of the 115th Congress Rep. Johnson landed a coveted seat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) and was unanimously voted by his colleagues to be Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. The subcommittee conducts oversight of programs addressing federal management of emergencies and natural disasters including oversight of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is responsible for programs promoting economic development in communities suffering economic distress. It also has jurisdiction over public buildings, federal real estate programs and the Public Buildings Service (PBS) of the General Services Administration (GSA), which is the civilian landlord of the federal government. From his seat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Johnson has introduced, co-sponsored and passed legislation to level the playing field for everyday Americans. His bills that protect consumers and citizens’ civil liberties include the Arbitration Fairness Act (AFA) and the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act. As a champion for digital inclusion and an open Internet, Rep. Johnson has pushed to empower low-income and minority communities through digital rights, broadband access, and equality of opportunity online as ranking member of the subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law (RRCAL). A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Johnson became a leading national voice for the demilitarization of local law enforcement agencies in 2014 after police donned camouflage tactical gear and climbed abroad heavily armored vehicles to confront peaceful protestors in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, in the aftermath of the shooting death of an unarmed teenager. To help restore trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, he filed the Police Accountability Act and the Grand Jury Reform Act in the wake of police shooting deaths of unarmed black men across the country. In 2010, Rep, Johnson was a member of the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of New Orleans U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr., resulting in the first impeachment and conviction of a federal judge in more than two decades. In 2016, Rep. Johnson earned an honorary doctorate from his beloved alma mater Clark Atlanta University. Prior to taking his seat in Congress in 2006, Rep. Johnson practiced criminal defense law in Georgia for twenty-seven (27) years. He served twelve (12) years as a magistrate judge, and five (5) years as a county commissioner. Rep. Johnson is married to DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and has two adult children.
Bria Blakley
HANK JOHNSON, JR.
CONGRESSIONAL
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Briana Blakley Eubanks is a third-year law student at the University of Georgia School of Law. A native of Anderson, South Carolina, Briana graduated Magna Cum Laude with Leadership Distinction from the University of South Carolina in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management and a minor in Criminal Justice. As a 2L, Briana served as the President of the Davenport-Benham Chapter of the Black Law Students Association and Secretary of the First-Generation Student Association. She is currently a Dean’s Ambassador and an active member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and the Labor & Employment Law Society. Briana is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Our Mission The purpose for which the corporation is formed and the business and the objects to be carried on and promoted by it, are as follows: • To uphold and defend the constitution of the United States and of Georgia and maintain representative government; • to advance the science of jurisprudence; • to promote the administration of justice; • to uphold the honor of the profession of law; • to apply its knowledge and experience in the Aield of law to the promotion of the public good; • to encourage cordial intercourse among the members of the corporation; • to correlate and promote such activities of the bar organizations in DeKalb County as are within these objects in the interest of the legal profession and of the public; and • engage in any lawful activities related thereto.
Past Presidents Judge Michael Hancock Robert Burroughs Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson Williams Jenkins Judge Gregory A. Adams Samuel Matchett Denise Majette Judge Bobby Simmons Judge Phillip Jackson Regina Smith Jenkins Judge Sonya Bivins Herbert Adams Imogene Walker Gwen Keyes Fleming Congressman Hank Johnson Genet McIntosh Hopewell Sheriff Jeffrey L. Mann Dawn Belisle Skinner R. Joy Walker Terry G. Phillips Mayor Deborah A. Jackson Dwight L. Thomas Robert James Judge LaTisha Dear-Jackson Judge Vincent Crawford Melanie Fenwick Thompson Judge Temika Williams Murry Jennifer Watts Andrea Dionne McGhee Judge Brian Ross Mawuli Mel Davis Miguel A. Dominguez LaTasha Barnes Tracee Benzo Charles Simmons
Congratulations to the DeKalb Lawyers Association (DLA) 2020 Scholarship Awardees
Cоgr ulatiоs FROM THE
DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION TO THE
2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Job W l Dоe!
FOUNDERS OF THE DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
ROBERT BURROUGHS
JUDGE MICHAEL HANCOCK
GENET MCINTOSH HOPEWELL
VERNON PITTS
CONGRESSMAN HANK JOHNSON
MEREDA DAVIS JOHNSON
DOROTHY COPRICH | WILLIAM OUTLAW | WAYMON SIMS | JAMES WEST
PIONEERS OF THE DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
JUDGE GREGORY ADAMS
JUDGE WINSTON BETHEL
RICHARD DEANE
GARY HURST
BOBBY GIDDENS | CLIFFORD HARDWICK | SAMPSON OLIVER | PAUL ROBINSON | HENRIETTA TURNQUEST
PICTURE OF Donald Lee Hollowell at DLA Breakfast
TITLE SPONSOR
Debra DeBerry Clerk of Superior Court DeKalb County
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Judge Bedelia Hargrove Chief Judge DeKalb County Probate Court
VISIONARY SPONSORS
Judge Gregory Adams DeKalb County Superior Court
Sherry Boston District Attorney Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Judge Mike Jacobs DeKalb County State Court Nicole Thomas Ken Lanier The Law Offices of Erica Wilson, LLC.
Erica Wilson, Esq. The 36th President
D E K A L B L AWYE RS A SSOCI AT I ON
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO DEKALB LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
Congratulations on your retirement! Judge Clar ce S lig
Judge Seeliger Proclamation WHEREAS, the County of DeKalb, the legal profession, and The DeKalb Lawyers Association have been made better by the efforts of Judge Clarence Seeliger; and WHEREAS, In 1980, Judge Seeliger defeated State Court Judge J. Oscar Mitchell, an entrenched incumbent of thirty years who had brought infamy to DeKalb County (and Georgia) for having sentenced the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to prison for a probation violation resulting from a twenty-five dollar traffic ticket; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger hired Nesby Thomas –DeKalb County’s first African-American bailiff; and WHEREAS, one of Judge Seeliger’s first acts as a judge was to order the removal of the Confederate battle flag from his courtroom; and WHEREAS, In 1984 Judge Seeliger ran for an open seat on the DeKalb County Superior Court bench and won; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger became a founding board member of the DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers’ Foundation in 1984; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger served as Chair for the DeKalb County Task Force for Domestic Violence from 19931996; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger received a Recognition Award from the Women’s Resource Center in 1996; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger was appointed by Governor Zell Miller as Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence and served in that capacity from 1996 until 2002; and WHEREAS, in 2000, Judge Seeliger served as Vice-Chair for Gender/Racial/Ethnic Fairness for the Judicial Council of Georgia; and WHEREAS, in 2002, Judge Seeliger received an Appreciation Award from the Georgia Commission on Family Violence for his dedication and acts of service; and WHEREAS, in 2004, Judge Seeliger received the Deborah McDorman Award from the DeKalb County Task Force Against Domestic Violence; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger received recognition for service as Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence in 2006; and WHEREAS, Judge Seeliger endowed a scholarship bearing his name with The DeKalb Lawyers Association for minority law students; and WHEREAS, in 2008, Judge Seeliger was Honored by the creation of the “Clarence Seeliger Justice Award” which is given yearly by the Women’s Resource Center to recognize people who advocate for victims of domestic violence; and WHEREAS, in good times, and in difficult times, Judge Seeliger has dealt with a diverse range of people in, and out of the courtroom, and provided litigants with compassion and empathy; and WHEREAS, after forty years on the bench, Judge Seeliger has distinguished himself as a hard-working and dedicated public servant, at all times committed to presiding on the bench and with integrity and fairness while maintaining the upmost reverence for the law; and WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that on November 14, 2020 and on every day to recognize the tremendous impact of service to the community and dedication to DeKalb County and volunteerism of Judge Clarence Seeliger. NOW THEREFORE, I, Erica Wilson, President of the DeKalb Lawyers Association on behalf of the organization do hereby express our sincere appreciation and gratitude for Judge Seeliger’s dedication and commitment to DeKalb Lawyers Association, and congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement from the DeKalb County Superior Court, and wish him the best, and continued success in his retirement and future endeavors. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand and caused a seal of recognition and excellence this 14th day of November, 2020. _____________________________ Erica Wilson, Esq. President The DeKalb Lawyers Association