by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com

Now that the recent election is behind us, we have all had some time to reflect on the results. To be more accurate, unless you live under a rock, you probably haven’t been able to avoid reflecting on the election, as it has dominated national and local headlines. We’ve all seen those headlines. We know the issues. However, there is one local trend that has not gotten a lot of attention. If you take a close look at the makeup of, for example, the Georgia House of Representatives, you will see that attorney representation has been trending downward dramatically for years.

by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com

As important as this general election is, I am ready for it to be over. Not because I am not interested. Not because I do not see the implications of the results. I’m just so exhausted of the vitriol, hatred, accusations, and lack of civility that most of us have witnessed in recent months. This election has been especially unique in those respects. No matter what side of the aisle you fall on, I imagine you are as tired of it all as I am. I need a break. I’m ready for Thanksgiving. I’m ready for Christmas. Heck, I’m ready for anything but all of this mess.

by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com

As some of you may know, the State Judicial Qualifications Committee has been under fire recently in Georgia. Representative Johnnie Caldwell has spearheaded an attempt to dismantle the judicial watchdog agency. The ballot in the November election will include a proposed constitutional amendment to rid the State of the JQC. If the ballot passes, the independent agency would be removed from the constitution and replaced with one that answers directly to the state legislature. The JQC is a constitutionally mandated agency that polices the judicial branch in Georgia. The JQC has by no means been perfect. In fact, many of us have had qualms with the speed (or lack thereof) that they have addressed serious potential instances of judicial misconduct in the past. However, the motivation behind the November ballot appears to be nothing but political and potentially retributive in nature.

by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com

I moved to DeKalb County in 2003 after completing law school at the University of Georgia. To be quite honest, I wasn’t overly excited about moving to DeKalb from Athens at the age of twenty-five. Like every other UGA graduate I know who bleeds red and black, I would have preferred to linger in Athens for a bit (or forever) as opposed to moving intown and getting a real job. Despite my personal preferences, my law school debt demanded that I make the move. Thus, after taking the bar, I packed up the few possessions I had and found an apartment in Decatur.

by Daniel DeWoskin
President, DeKalb Bar Association
atlantatrial.com

As my year as president comes to a close, I have several thoughts that I wanted to share with all of you. At times, it has been difficult to come up with ideas for topics for this newsletter. This time, I have had no trouble at all as I think about how grateful I am for the opportunity I was given to lead this past year.

First, let me say that I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as president of the DeKalb Bar Association this past year. I always look forward to our meetings and social events where I get to see so many friends and colleagues. It has truly been an honor to serve the organization in a leadership capacity. Having said that, I am also excited to see someone else take the reigns and bring a renewed enthusiasm to the Bar.

by Daniel DeWoskin
President, DeKalb Bar Association
atlantatrial.com

As we prepare to celebrate Law Day here in DeKalb County this month, it occurred to me that as time goes by, we often lose sight of the importance legal developments and procedural safeguards that protect our civil rights. These may be codified laws or decisions in a particular case, but we tend to take them for granted once we have learned them, argued them, and come to know them so well that we expect the court to know our position before we begin to speak at a motions hearing. Miranda v. Arizona is just such a decision.

by Daniel DeWoskin
President, DeKalb Bar Association
atlantatrial.com

I frequently find myself wanting to reach conclusions about news events involving race, whether it be about Black Lives Matter, Affirmative Action, comments made by politicians, criticism of law enforcement throughout the country, or a host of other situations that come across the news wire. Although it is challenging, I try to refrain from making quick judgments and try to at least consider all points of view. This can be very difficult.