WORDS FROM THE FROM BENCH THE WISE Interview with Judge Bedford
WORDS FROM THE FROM BENCH THE WISE Interview with Judge Bedford
Sam Crochet Hall Booth Smith , P . C . SCrochet @ hallboothsmith . com
Irecently spoke one-on-one with former Atlanta Bar President and retiring Superior Court Judge T . Jackson Bedford Jr , for whom I briefly worked during my 2L year at Georgia State University . In addition to exclaiming his everyday passion for what he has done and accomplished throughout his time on the bench , Judge Bedford and I spoke regarding personal advice to young litigators , his own learning experiences , and the single biggest problem with the legal profession from his eyes .
Q : What advice can you give young lawyers ? A : Try Cases . Get experience . Argue Motions . You have to get in the courtroom if you are going to be a trial lawyer . Find a way into that room one way or the other .
Q : Do any particular attorneys stick out as particularly sharp from your time on the bench ? A : The ADA ’ s in my court room were very good . A few who did major criminal cases were superb lawyers . I saw numerous public defense attorneys who were quite solid as well . Also , I presided over many family law cases with attorneys who were excellent trial lawyers . There were so few civil cases in my court room , but I did observe fine young civil litigators over the years . It was a joy to try a case with good lawyers on both sides . The whole system works better that way .
Q : What was the biggest learning experience you had while on the bench ? A : Lawyers do not have a clue as to the extent of what judges do . I had a 25 + year career prior to becoming a judge . I did not know what the business of being a judge was about . A judge has tremendous responsibility . For example , Superior Court judges are the flagship for the judiciary — there was a big obligation to lead other courts and , in some cases , to direct them . Much of what happens in other courts is impacted or determined by the Superior Court . We are responsible for many pilot projects , accountability courts , family courts , and also work with the State Bar . We do pattern charges that some State Courts will follow . Also , the Uniform Court Rules that apply to both State and Superior Courts are approved by the Superior Court . I was initially astounded by the range of cases we presided over — cases against the governor or Secretary of State are brought in Superior Court . MARTA cases are tried here in Fulton County . We are a form of Appellate Court for many state agencies ( magistrate , landlord / tenant , workers ’ compensation , unemployment cases ). I truly looked forward to each day on the bench and what challenge it would bring .
Q : Do you have personal thoughts on how to improve public defense ? A : The public defenders need to be paid on par with lawyers within the District Attorney ’ s Office . I have been blessed that many public attorneys in my court room were good attorneys .
Q : Regarding resources in the public defender office , is there room for criminal justice students or law students to be of service ? A : Teaming up with a criminal justice undergraduate department is a great idea . Clinical programs provide mutual benefit for everyone .
Q : What is the biggest problem facing the legal industry ? A : That word you just used : ' industry .' This is a profession , not a for-profit ' shop .' I am concerned large law firms have turned inward ( away from bar associations and other organizations ) to handle ethics / networking in-house . Firm guided CLEs is not a bad idea , but they insulate young lawyers from peers throughout the Bar . Law firms do less mixing these days and less traditional CLEs . Much of our profession outside the courtroom is story telling — there is a lot to be learned from having conversations with lawyers outside one ’ s firm . We suffer to a degree when our firms only handle matters internally . Building a sense of professional connection so attorneys from different firms can learn from and lean on one another is hugely important . Attorneys need to get out of their offices to build professional relations and a sense of profession — rather than an ' industry .' Young lawyers need exposure to the courts to try cases and to be exposed to different lawyers to preserve collegiality and the quality of this profession .
18 August / September 2016