Recaps of the March and April breakfast meetings.

DeKalb Superior Court Judge Cynthia J. Becker

“Hallelujah!” Chief Judge Cynthia J. Becker exclaimed in reference to the formation of the Family Law Section of the DeKalb County Bar Association while recently addressing the section at the monthly breakfast. Her enthusiasm is shared by others on the Bench, including Judge Gregory A. Adams, who also recently spoke to the section. Since its formation less than a year ago, the section has realized its goal of providing a bridge between the Bench and the Bar in DeKalb, thanks in great part to the enthusiasm and support of the chief judge and the other nine superior court judges.

In his breakfast address in March, Judge Adams emphasized the Bench – particularly Division 5 – and the Bar working together to improve the services his division delivers. He welcomed input from the Bar and provided practice tips to assist in more effectively representing clients in Division 5. His main practice point: Be On Time. He starts his calendar on time and expects lawyers to be on time. He observed that he has always been conscious of time allotments, both as a public servant in practice (he was a state prosecutor before joining the Bench) and now as a judge. He emphasized his respect for the time of lawyers, clients and witnesses and his desire for efficient resolution of cases, but that efficiency requires lawyers to be honest about time announcements and prepared by pre-marking exhibits and submitting proposed orders in paper and electronic forms, as examples.

The cocktail social was held at Parker's on Ponce in downtown Decatur The Family Law Sections of the DeKalb and Atlanta Bars gathered on a pleasant April evening for a cocktail social at Parker's on Ponce in downtown Decatur. The event…