Judge Lee

[This post was originally published at jdduncanlaw.com on May 3, 2012.]

This week, the Coweta Judicial Circuit lost its Chief Judge, William F. Lee, Jr., a man who has been a judge in this community for over thirty years.  Many attorneys have their own “Judge Lee” story to tell, and I would like to offer my experience as well.

I have lived in Newnan since 2003, but I did not begin my practice until late 2009.  I first met Judge Lee in September of that year, and he was courteous in his chambers.  He even gave me words of encouragement as I awaited my bar results, and offered his ear should I have any questions about procedural or substantive matters.  The meeting was short, being escorted around by my now-partner Keith, but I left feeling good about the circuit I had chosen to pratice.

The next meeting with Judge Lee was a learning experience for me.  I had not yet received my bar results, and was helping a client of the firm with temporary protective order procedures prior to filing for divorce.  We went over her petition and, when I presented it to the judge with our client, I made the mistake of telling him that a divorce would be filed in the very near future.  The next two minutes will forever be seared into my memory.  Judge Lee informed me in no uncertain terms, that as a soon-to-be-lawyer, his standing order in divorce cases would handle the majority of the TPO items requested, and that the order we were presenting was superfluous.  he was right, and I appreciate the fact that he took me to school that day.  Never again have I gone into judge’s chambers half-cocked.

In the years since that instance, Judge Lee has always helped me when I needed advice on a legal matter.  On November 2, 2009, he swore me in to the Coweta Superior Court, a day that I will never forget.  He was available, and happy to talk about both criminal and civil issues in general terms.  Other lawyers may feel differently about Judge Lee, but to me, he was always a man I could turn to for help.  I will never forget the generosity that he showed to me.  I am a better lawyer today because of my experiences with Judge Lee, and for that I thank him.

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.