The Atlanta Lawyer April 2016 | Page 16

LAW SCHOOL LIFE THE LEADER OF LEADERS By Erik J. Provitt 3L, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School W ith the inherent pressures that come with being a law student and the option of the more prestigious “resume-building” positions on Law Review and Moot Court, it might certainly be easier to let the “wolves govern themselves” than to assume a role as a leader within the Student Bar Association at their respective law schools. Yet James Banter (Mercer), Travis Foremen(AJMLS), Quinn Kane(GSU), Seth Parker(Emory), and Ben Ralston (UGA), the 2015-2016 SBA Presidents of Georgia’s five ABA-approved law schools each made the decision to lead the effort to represent more effectively the interests of their law school’s student bodies. The importance of service and the duty that comes with it seems to be the calling card of this group of leaders, with one planning to serve in the United States Navy and two others who served their SBAs in other capacities over the course of their law school careers. When asked why he decided to run for SBA President, Travis Forman, 3L at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School said, “I had served my peers as SBA representative during my first two years of law school and felt I was the right person to lead our student body through changes that were occurring at our law school. We had just acquired a new dean “Now is the accepted time, not and there were new faces on our staff. I knew that my tomorrow, not some more In Safe Hands career and life experience equipped me with While there is a Webster’s Dictionary definition of leaderthe tools to help ensure that the transiconvenient season. It is today ship, it is safe to say there is no prototypical representation went smoothly for our student body.” of leadership. Leadership comes in many shapes that our best work can be done tion and sizes and requires a “strong element of humbleto be effective”. Quinn Kane, 3L at Georgia State A Way to Give Back and not some future day or future ness believes the definition of leadership is “someone who These leaders agree that their roles have been reabout who they are leading.” While a discussion warding and a way to give back to their law school year. It is today that we fit ourselves cares regarding leadership will continue long past the communities. For example, James Banter, 3L at words on this page, the current state of the legal proMercer Law School, helped establish the school’s for the greater usefulness of to- fession is in safe hands with this group of leaders. inaugural Mental Health Week to inform and eduForeman’s favorite quote likely sums up the essence of cate students about mental health issues as well morrow. Today is the seed time, this group. “Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not as provide support and resources. If Mr. Banter has some more convenient season. It is today that our best some sense of personal achievement, the nexus of now are the hours of work, and work can be done and not some future day or future year. It that achievement stems from the fact that his efforts will is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tohelp students at Mercer Law School for years to come. tomorrow comes the har- morrow. Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime.” - W.E.B. DuBois ■ vest and the playtime.” W.E.B. DuBois James Banter, Travis Foreman, Quinn Kane, Seth Parker, and Ben Ralston are the 2015-2016 SBA Presidents of Georgia’s five ABA approved law schools. Each of these distiguished students has agreed to assume the responsibility of, if not one similar to, the constitution of this state’s oldest law school. James Banter Mercer University School of Law 16 April 2016 Travis Foreman Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Quinn Kane Georgia State University Seth Parker Emory Law Ben Ralston University of Georgia Law The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association THE ATLANTA LAWYER 17