Today I’m heading home from the American Association for Justice annual meeting in San Francisco. On Saturday, I was one of the speakers at the Interstate Trucking Litigation Group seminar.  I had a fairly dry topic, though one necessary in these difficult economic times, "Hard Times in Trucking Litigation: What to Do When the Trucking Defendant … Continue Reading

The organized Bar across the country makes a big point of supporting judicial independence. We should make just as big a point of supporting judicial integrity.
An article by Ian Urbina in The New York Times tells the sad tale of how two Pennsylvania judges have pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court to accepting $2.6 … Continue Reading

Today I became the sole nominee for election as Treasurer of the State Bar of Georgia for a one year term beginning in June 2009.  Fortunately, the Bar is in sound financial condition and has a superb chief financial officer in place. It will be a great learning experience and excellent preparation for the next … Continue Reading

In the "be careful what you wish for" category, I got word today of appointment to the Georgia Courts Automation Commission. The enacting legislation in 1990 authorized the Commission to:

Define, implement, and administer a state-wide courts automation system;
Coordinate and cooperate with the state’s chief information officer with regard to planning, implementation, and administration of a … Continue Reading

Today Governor Perdue vetoed raises for Superior Court judges and District Attorneys. In a statement released with the veto, the Governor said, “I have consistently expressed concern with raising judicial officers’ salaries without tackling the well above-market retirement benefits.” He also said that a study he commissioned showed that Georgia’s judges’ pay was competitive compared … Continue Reading