The Georgia Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers sponsored a two-day seminar, "Trial Advocacy for Public Interest Lawyers" on August 20th and 21st at the State Bar of Georgia Conference Center. The seminar was the Fellows' first such large-scale training for public interest lawyers.

The two-day training featured noted ACTL attorneys: Jerry A. Buchanan, Claudia Saari, Chilton Varner, Jerry Buchanan, Ray Persons, Sally QuillianYates, former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Bernard Taylor, Richard Sinkfield, Dave Burch, Jon Peters, and Tony Cochran.

The American College of Trial Lawyers Foundation provided $2,000 in scholarships to cover travel costs for participants from rural Georgia to ensure the training program would be accessible to public interest lawyers outside Atlanta. The State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project assisted ACTL in hosting the training.

The training program attracted public interest lawyers from across Georgia, including attorneys from the Georgia Legal Services Program, the Georgia Law Center for the Homeless, the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and several lawyers from large Atlanta firms who handle pro bono cases.

The seminar was highly praised, with participants hoping for a repeat of the seminar or for related training experiences. Seminar evaluations were filled with comments such as "I have returned to my practice with new vigor. I am anxious to apply the skills acquired" and "The experience was very rewarding. It was an honor to learn from such distinguished trainers." Over fifty-five public interest advocates participated in the lectures and demonstrations.

ACTL member and seminar organizer Jerry Buchanan, of the Columbus law firm of Buchanan and Land, LLP, says: "The American College of Trial Lawyers has long been dedicated to the public interest legal community, and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with such dedicated lawyers who serve some of the most vulnerable segments of our society. The members of the College who served on the faculty were all inspired by the level of ability, dedication to service, and enthusiasm of the public interest lawyers who attended the program. I can assure you that we learned as much from them as they learned from us."

"Trial practice training directly benefits our clients by allowing us to be better lawyers on their behalf. The skill level of the trainers involved in this two day training was outstanding." Doree Avera, attorney in the Brunswick Regional Office of Georgia Legal Services Program. Mike Monahan, Director of the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project, notes, "The American College of Trial Lawyers program fills a much-needed gap. Most, if not all of our pro bono and legal aid programs, are confronted with a difficult budget decision: How much money can a program take away from direct client services to pay for staff training? Staff training is expensive, and it's necessary. ACTL's training contribution is very significant to these programs."

The American College of Trial Lawyers is a professional association of lawyers skilled and experienced in the trial of cases and dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice, and the ethics of the profession.

For more information about how to volunteer your time and resources to the public interest community contact the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project at (404) 527-8763 or mike@gabar.org.