by Matthew McCoyd As we move toward the end of this year and into the holiday season, I want to wish everyone happy holidays and best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year. During this time of year, I…

by W. Blair Meeks
Communication Strategist
Jackson Spalding

If you’re a student of crisis communications, there has been no shortage of monumental, real life case studies recently. Herman Cain troubles have drifted into Jerry Sandusky shock waves and the 24-hour news cycle keeps churning up headlines. A sidebar discussion worth having, however, relates to the legal ramifications and legal wisdom of all this public disclosure. When you represent a client whose reputation could soon be taking a severe public beating, what is the tipping point that triggers your entry into the court of public opinion? Helping to define that tipping point is how we will be Raising the Bar this month.

Herman Cain, of course, is running for President. There was no decision about whether he should speak publicly once charges of sexual harassment surfaced. He’s a public figure running for the highest office in the land. He had to say something. How he handled what he said is open for debate, but there is no disputing that he had to react publicly. Since legal wrangling related to the events in question are long past, there was no immediate legal weight tipping the scales of his response decision.

Lindsay Jones Associate Director Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Emory School of Law Please join me in congratulating the Emory Mock Trial Society on winning the William W. Daniel National Invitational Mock Trial Competition on Sunday, Nov. 20. Eighteen law schools…

by Helen Hamlin, health coach Let’s think about the upcoming holiday season as a challenge to maintain or attain healthy habits rather than use it as an excuse to indulge ourselves. I encourage you to use this holiday season as…

The November Family Law Section breakfast welcomed Gregory Barnes as the guest speaker. Family Law Section breakfasts are held on the first Thursday each month. Be sure to check the FLS page on the DeKalb Bar Association website for more…

DBA members gathered for the fall social in November at The Marlay House. Thank you to our DBA Fall Happy Hour sponsors, John Hyatt and Dixon James. Click any photo to launch a slideshow:

Sherry Boston, DeKalb County Solicitor-General, has launched the new Pre-Trial Diversion Program (PTD) in DeKalb County. As part of the program, low-level, first-time offenders will complete conditions that are tailored to their particular criminal charges and geared towards breaking the cycle of criminal activity. Through counseling, classes and community service, offenders will be guided toward alternative methods of managing and understanding the behavior that led to their criminal activity, thereby reducing the likelihood that they will commit future crimes.

Offenders will be charged $300 to participate in the program and the monies will be deposited directly to the County General Fund. Those who complete the program successfully will receive a dismissal of the misdemeanor charge(s) from the DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s Office and their case may be eligible for expungement. As a result, the offender can avoid developing a criminal record.