THE VERDICT
A Publication of GAPTA, Inc. (Georgia Association of Plaintiffs' Trial Attorneys)
Vol. 4, No. 8 May 1963

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Annual Business Meeting of the Association will be held in the Chatham Room at the Hotel DeSoto at 2:30 P.M., on Friday, June 7th, during the Georgia Bar Association sessions. Friday is the most feasible time we could work out in view of the Georgia Bar Program. .

At this meeting there will be:

1. Recap on the seminar.

2. Discussion regarding the integrated bar bill

3. Any other appropriate business

4. Annual election of officers. (A nominating committee made up of the past presidents of the association has been appointed. )

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Re: The “Unified” Bar and the Georgia Bar Association’s Election of Officers

During the coming year the highest order of business would seem to be in connection with the integrated (unified) bar bill.

While the plaintiffs’ attorneys desire to co-operate in every way possible to get a workable program set up, if it is necessary under the recent enactment, we should keep in the forefront of our minds the fact that ordinarily when a full fledged defense attorney speaks of “improving” the bar or “cleaning up” the bar he does not have reference to defense attorneys. I repeat – HE DOES NOT HAVE REFERENCE TO DEFENSE ATTORNEYS. For this reason it behooves plaintiffs’ attorneys to take an interest in the unified bar.

GAPTA was not active as an association in opposing the bar bill. It was not for it, nor was it against it – if we had vigorously opposed it, it might not have passed. In fact a number of our members wrote letters advocating it. I did not personally do so. However, a large number opposed it actively.

If you happen not to be a member of the Georgia Bar Association, in the interest of Plaintiffs please write me and I will send you an application and please do it now, or write to Georgia Bar Association, Persons Building, Macon, Georgia, because if it is to be the nucleus of the “integrated” bar all of us should be members by vote.

It is not too late to send in your ballot for President and President-Elect of the Georgia Bar Association. VOTE for the men you think will best administer the Unified Bar Bill is our suggestion.

As to this Georgia Bar Association Election, get in your vote – now – please – in order to have some say so as to rules set up by the Supreme Court if they act on it and in connection with it.

The balloting does not end until the counting of votes starts which will be about Friday June 7th - - but it could be any time during the convention – that is the reason it would be preferable to mail the ballot you have now – if you have not already mailed it.

Best wishes and highest personal regards to you all – it was a pleasure to serve in this office for the past year and I hope our accomplishments have been of some value to you.

S. Gus Jones, President