Honorable Stephen Louis A. Dillard, Presiding Judge, Georgia Court of Appeals | “Appellate Courts: Righting Wrongs or Simply Correcting Errors?”

Today on See You in Court, we are honored to be joined by the Honorable Stephen Louis A. Dillard, presiding 73rd Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia. 

Honorable Stephen Louis A. Dillard:

Presiding Judge Stephen Louis A. Dillard was appointed as the 73rd judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia on November 1, 2010, by Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to his appointment, Judge Dillard was in private practice with James, Bates, Pope & Spivey in Macon, serving as chairman of the firm's appellate practice group. Judge Dillard was elected and reelected by his fellow Georgians in 2012 and 2018. On July 1, 2017, Judge Dillard was sworn in as the 30th Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia for a two-year term that ended on June 30, 2019. He currently serves as the presiding judge of the Court’s Fourth Division.

Judge Dillard was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 13, 1969. He attended and graduated from Hillwood High School in Nashville, Tennessee; Samford University (B.A. 1992); and the Mississippi College School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1996). In college, Judge Dillard was a member of The Sigma Chi Fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa. He was also given the Evelyn Meadows Historical Essay Award, as well as the William McMillian Rogers Colonial Dames Overall Essay Award for "The Tempting of America to be America: Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Papers." During law school, Judge Dillard was a member of the Moot Court Board and received the Judge Robert G. Gillespie Outstanding Achievement in Appellate Advocacy Award, as well as the American Jurisprudence Award in Appellate Advocacy. He also reactivated the Mississippi College Chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, serving as its president for three years.

After graduating from law school, Judge Dillard joined the Macon law firm of Stone & Baxter, where he practiced from 1996 until 2001. In September 2001, he left private practice for a two-year period to serve as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for Judge Daniel A. Manion (who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986). In September 2003, Judge Dillard joined James Bates as of counsel, specializing in appellate practice and complex litigation. While in practice, he received an AV® Preeminent™ Peer-Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was named by Super Lawyers as one of Georgia's "rising stars."

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Links:

Judge Stephen Dillard Twitter

Court of Appeals of the State of GA

http://www.akintate.com/

https://www.gatriallawyers.net/

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

A Primer In Worker’s Compensation | Frank Burns | See You in Court

Today on See You in Court, we are excited to be joined by Frank Burns of J. Franklin Burns, P.C. On the show, Frank shares his expertise on worker’s compensation law, how the worker’s comp system works, as well as some common misconceptions about the law. 

Frank Burns:

Frank Burns, Esq. is the founder of J. Franklin Burns, P.C. and a native of Gainesville, Georgia. He is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1982. He earned his J. D. at Mercer University School of Law in 1987. He began his legal career at Gorby & Reeves, an insurance defense law firm where he represented employers and insurance companies in Workers' Compensation matters across the State of Georgia.

In 2002, he opened his law practice, J. Franklin Burns, P.C., devoting his practice exclusively to the representation of injured workers and personal injury victims. He has served on the State Board of Workers' Advisory Council. and on the Legislative Committee of the Advisory Council. The Legislative Committee represents all stakeholders in the workers' compensation system and is charged with crafting workers' compensation laws for the State of Georgia.

In 2010, Mr. Burns was nominated and selected as a member to the Southern Trial Lawyers Association. He was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1987 and has been practicing workers’ compensation law ever since.

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Links:

https://www.jfblaw.com/

https://sbwc.georgia.gov/

http://www.akintate.com/

https://www.gatriallawyers.net/

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

How Whiskey Law Shaped America | Brian Haara

Today we are delighted to have Brian Haara with us. He is a Kentucky lawyer and author of Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America and we are going to talk about his book and how litigation involving Bourbon, the great American Spirit, shaped our country’s laws.

Brian Haara:

Brian primarily serves the trial and litigation needs of clients in the insurance, financial services, and bourbon industries, but more broadly, Brian represents businesses and professionals in defense of employment claims and professional liability claims, fiduciary liability, disputes among owners, conflicts with competitors and vendors, insurance coverage and bad faith disputes, construction defects, and personal injury defense.  Clients have also called on Brian to coordinate and manage multi-state non-compete litigation.

Before disputes arise, Brian focuses with clients on being able to avoid them through planning, drafting practical policies and proactive employment contracts with reasonable restrictive covenants, and protecting clients by counseling them on their insurance policies and risks.

Brian’s practice also includes land-use planning litigation, receiverships, Community Association disputes, and other real property disputes, including as a Mediator approved by the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors for residential sales disputes.

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Links:

https://tachaulaw.com/

http://www.sippncorn.com/

https://twitter.com/sippncorn

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

In Conversation with Luther Battiste, III, Esquire | See You In Court

Today we are delighted to have Attorney Luther Battiste with us. He is a lawyer in Columbia, S.C. and the former National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is also the host of World Class Jazz that airs each Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on WVCD 96.5 Voorhees College.

Bio:

Luther Battiste, III, Esquire:

Luther J. Battiste, III is a founding shareholder of Johnson, Toal & Battiste, P.A. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Emory University Law School.

In 1983, Luther entered the political arena and made history by becoming one of the first two African-Americans elected to Columbia City Council since Reconstruction. He served fifteen years as a member of the Columbia City Council including two terms as Mayor Pro Tempore. In 1998, the City of Columbia dedicated to Luther J. Battiste, III the Monument and Plaza in honor of his dedicated service as a public servant.

Luther has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America, and Super Lawyers and also has been awarded the “AV” highest rating for ethics and legal ability by the Martindale-Hubbell national rating service. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the International Association of Barristers. Membership is by invitation only.

Luther has served as president of the Columbia Lawyers Association, the Richland County Bar, Association, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, and The Southeastern Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA).

He is also a member of the John Belton O’Neil Inn of Court, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, the National Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, Injured Workers Advocates, and The American Trial Lawyers Association. In 2017, Luther was elected National Vice President of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

He served two terms as Commissioner of the Richland-Lexington Airport Commission which operates the Columbia Airport and as Chairman for two years. In 1999, Luther Battiste received the coveted Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of South Carolina. In 1999, he was selected to the South Carolina Black Hall Fame and for inclusion in the Bell South African American Calendar for 2004. In 2007, the Richland County Bar Association awarded him the John W. Williams Award, its highest honor. In 2008, he was selected by Historic Columbia Foundation as one of the 30 Most Significant African-Americans in Richland County.

Luther presently serves on the boards of South State Bank, the National Center for State Courts and the executive committee and board of directors of American Board of Trial Advocates. He is the Chairman of University Associates, a group of business, professional and community leaders who support the University of South Carolina

His previous community service includes serving on the boards of Columbia College and as President of the Board of the Columbia Museum of Art and as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Capital City Club.

Luther is married to Judy M. Battiste, and they have two children, Justin and Jade.

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Links:

JOHNSON TOAL & BATTISTE PA

World Class Jazz each Sunday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on WVCD 96.5 Voorhees College

Miles Davis - All Blues

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

The Art of Settlement | Jason D. Lazarus

Today we are delighted to have Jason Lazarus with us. He is a lawyer and author of The Art of Settlement-A Lawyer’s Guide to Regulatory Compliance When Resolving Catastrophic Claims and we are going to discuss his book, his career, and his expertise.

Jason Lazarus:

Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., CSSC, MSCC is the founder and chief executive officer of Synergy Settlement Services.  Synergy allows trial lawyers to focus on what they do best by handling all the issues which arise at settlement such as lien resolution, Medicare compliance, public benefit preservation, and settlement planning techniques for protecting the recovery.  He is also a Principal and President of Multi-Claimant Solutions which offers lien resolution and MSP compliance services for mass torts.

Mr. Lazarus is a renowned legal settlement services industry expert. His written work is widely published and his thought leadership in Medicare compliance has been cited by Federal courts and Florida courts including the Florida Supreme Court.  He is available to consult with trial lawyers across the country when they are dealing with the issues that arise at settlement including lien resolution, Medicare compliance, government benefit preservation, trusts and protection of the financial recovery.

Mr. Lazarus is the proud father of three children:  Sarah, Kyle, and Camille.  In his free time, he is an avid cyclist and amateur auto racing given his passion for going fast!  Mr. Lazarus has a passion for UCF and FSU football.  He works out of the Synergy main office in Orlando.

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Links:

The Art of Settlement

Synergy Settlement Services

Special Needs Firm

See You In Court Website

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

The Common Sense Wisdom Of Mediation | Rex Smith and Greg Parent

Today we are going to be talking about The Common-Sense Wisdom of Mediation and to help us understand that we are thrilled to have Georgia Lawyers and Mediators Rex Smith and Greg Parent on the show with us today.

Rex Smith:

Rex D. Smith was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1976. In his 40 years of active practice, he tried over 100 cases and had a strong trial and appellate practice. Mr. Smith has handled over 2,750 mediations/arbitrations. He has been selected by his peers to “Best Lawyers in America”, “Georgia Super Lawyers” and holds the AV® Preeminent rating, the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. Rex has extensive experience in personal injury, construction, products liability, wrongful death, professional negligence, medical malpractice, aviation, nursing home litigation, and premises liability law.

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Greg Parent:

Greg has been a neutral with Miles Mediation & Arbitration since 2011. Relying on a comprehensive background that includes having worked as Claims Adjuster, Defense Attorney, and Plaintiff’s attorney, Greg has been able to parlay his extensive litigation and claims experience into a very successful career as a sought-after mediator and arbitrator.

He has mediated all types of civil litigation, including nursing home, wrongful death, medical malpractice, construction defect, contract disputes, business dissolution, products liability, premises liability, toxic torts, trucking and automobile liability, and municipal and county liability cases.

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Links:

https://www.milesmediation.com/

https://seeyouincourt.squarespace.com/ 

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Public Service and the Law | Senator Elena Parent

Today we are speaking with State Senator Elena Parent. She was elected to the State Senate in 2014. She represents District 42, which includes portions of central and north DeKalb County. 

Sen. Parent is the Secretary for the Senate Government Oversight and Special Judiciary Committees and a member of the Education and Youth and Judiciary Committees. 

Sen. Parent formerly served as the Vice Chair of Campaigns and Fundraising for the Senate Democratic Caucus and cur­rently serves as Chairwoman for the Senate Democratic Caucus, Vice Chair of the Senate DeKalb Delegation, and Vice Chair of the Working Families Legislative Caucus. 

Senator Parent previously served as the State Representa­tive for District 81 in DeKalb County in 2011 and 2012. Senator Parent then continued her public service as the Executive Director of Georgia Watch, the state's leading consumer rights non-profit. 

Senator Parent began her career as a litigation attorney at Eversheds Sutherland LLP and she is active in her commu­nity. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board for Olmsted Linear Park Association and was appointed in 2020 to serve as an Emory Ambassador, having previously served on the Board of Visitors for Emory University. She is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia and the Uni­versity of Virginia School of Law. 

Senator Parent's awards and recognitions include: Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Who's Who Sustainability" feature for her leadership on energy and environmental policy issues; the Fulton County Daily Report's "On the Rise"; the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "40 Under 40"; ACCG's Legislative Ser­vice Award; and the Georgia Association of Women Law­yers' "Leading Lady". In 2019, Senator Parent and her hus­band were recipients of the Clarence Seeliger Champions for Change Award from the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. 

Links:

https://www.legis.ga.gov/

https://twitter.com/elenaparent

https://www.senate.ga.gov/senators/

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Fulton County State Court | Judge Susan Edlein

Description:

Today we are talking about State Court in Georgia, and specifically Fulton County State Court.  We discuss a State Court’s jurisdiction and the issues that State Courts are facing during the Pandemic. and to help us understand these issues we are thrilled to have the Honorable Susan Edlein, Judge of the Fulton County State Court here with us today.

Links:

http://fultonstate.org/

Youtube Channel

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Divorce and Family Law | Gillian O’Nan and Robert Wellon

Description:

Today we are going to be talking about Divorce and Family Law practice, the issues that are prevalent these days during the Pandemic, and to help us understand that we are thrilled to have Georgia Lawyers Gillian O’Nan and Rob Wellon on the show with us today.

Guest Bios:

Gillian O'Nan

Gillian Fierer O’Nan is the managing partner of the Atlanta, Georgia, firm of Elovitz, Edwards, O’Nan & Buerlein, LLC. Focusing her practice exclusively on family law, she represents clients throughout Atlanta and surrounding counties in matters related to divorce, adoptions, child support and custody, separate maintenance and domestic violence. Ms. O’Nan also handles paternity cases, postnuptial and prenuptial agreements, post-action modifications and contempt cases. An experienced litigator, she is also a civil mediator and trained Guardian ad Litem.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2002, Ms. O’Nan went on to attend the University of Georgia School of Law and was awarded her Juris Doctor with honors in 2006. Admitted to practice in Georgia, she was associated with two Atlanta firms before opening her practice in 2013. Highly regarded by her peers, Ms. O’Nan has received a 10.0 “Superb” rating from Avvo.

A member of the family law sections of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association, Ms. O’Nan previously served on the board of directors for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts and as the president of the Young Lawyers Division of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. She is a member of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. Active in a variety of community and civic organizations, Ms. O’Nan has served as a member of the Alliance Children’s Theatre Guild’s board of directors, chaired the Ava in Wonderland Charity Gala and Auction and donated her time to her local church as well as the Anti-Defamation League. Ms. O’Nan proudly serves as the Vice President of the Ashford Park Education Foundation and on the House Committee for the Atlanta Athletic Club. Ms. O’Nan was appointed by the Mayor of the City of Brookhaven in 2017 to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals; she proudly continues her service today.

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Robert Wellon

Rob has been practicing law since 1974, with an emphasis on litigation, and concentrating on family law. He is recognized as a creative problem-solver, whether in settling issues or trying cases. He has a lifelong commitment to service:

TEACHER
Over twenty years of guiding law students into the profession, since 1995 as an adjunct professor at Emory Law School.

TRIAL ATTORNEY
Founder and initial director of the Atlanta College of Trial Advocacy; former chairman of the Atlanta Bar Litigation Section, Adjunct Professor on Trial Advocacy.

FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY
Founder and initial president of the Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law American Inn of Court, over 31 years practicing in Family Law.

PROFESSIONAL ATTORNEY
Serves on the State Bar Committee on Professionalism; frequent lecturer and moderator on professionalism and family law and litigation issues.

BAR LEADER
Former president, Atlanta Bar Association; Board of Directors for 16 years, former American Bar Association delegate to the House of Delegates (1999-2005), Charles Watkins Leadership Award for sustained service.

COMMUNITY LEADER
Northside Methodist United Church member over 30 years, Stephen minister, former church administrative board member, Staff Parish Committee, former Easter Seals V/P, United Way, Atlanta Foundation for Psychoanalysis Executive Committee, former Neighborhood representative to city NPU, former Peachtree Battle Alliance.

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
Rob welcomes the challenges and opportunities to serve his clients, especially those involved in the emotional turmoil of divorce, custody and support, paternity and related matrimonial issues. He enjoys a reputation for understanding while still maintaining his zealous advocacy for his clients. Rob's particular concern is to empathize with the client while being realistic in projecting specific goal-oriented results.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
In serving on various boards, such as the Atlanta Foundation For Psychoanalysis, Rob has gained insight on the specialized needs of his clients. In teaching and moderating continuing legal education forums, he remains on the cutting edge of the profession. As his continual service to the profession demonstrates, Rob has shown his commitment to providing the highest quality service while engaging his clients in an efficient, just, and realistic resolution of the client's matter.

SUPERLAWYER, LEGAL ELITE, WHO'S WHO ...
He has been named an Atlanta Magazine "Superlawyer" for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 edition. In 2006, he was named by Georgia Trend Magazine as a "Legal Elite," one of Georgia's Top Lawyers. He has made the Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Law for 20+ years. He has received the Charles Watkins Award given by Atlanta Bar Association and is a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation, whose membership is comprised of the top 3% of each state's bar membership. He has also received Martindale-Hubbell's top rating of AV for 20+ years.

PLEDGE
Rob has the expertise, experience, and affability to represent motivated clients to obtain the best possible result with an empathetic, efficient, and commonsense approach. He will commit the time, energy, and single-mindedness to the client in order for the client to be able to move forward in his/her life with the best possible result.

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Links:

https://www.wellonfamilylaw.com/

https://eofamilylaw.com/

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Supreme Court Blockbusters | Eric Segall

Description:

This week, Robin and Lester interview Professor Eric D. Segall, Professor of Law at Georgia State University about Appellate Law practice, what that is and what that means.

Guest Bio:

Eric J. Segall graduated from Emory University, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, and from Vanderbilt Law School, where he was the research editor for the Law Review and member of Order of the Coif. He clerked for the Chief Judge Charles Moye Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Albert J. Henderson of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. After his clerkships, Segall worked for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and the U.S. Department of Justice, before joining the Georgia State faculty in 1991.

Segall teaches federal courts and constitutional law I and II. He is the author of the books Originalism as Faith and Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is not a Court and its Justices are not Judges. His articles on constitutional law have appeared in, among others, the Harvard Law Review Forum, the Stanford Law Review On Line, the UCLA Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, and Constitutional Commentary among many others.

Segall’s op-eds and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, SLATE, Vox, Salon, and the Daily Beast, among others. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and France 24 and all four of Atlanta’s local television stations. He has also appeared on numerous local and national radio shows.

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Links:

Read Professor Segall's Books

Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court Is Not a Court and Its Justices Are Not Judges

Originalism as Faith

To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org