Public Service

The Macon Bar Association is actively involved in community and public service activities throughout the year. The Younger Lawyers Section of the MBA is considered the public service arm of the Association. The MBA also presents several awards in recognition of public service. Among these are:

The Law Day Essay Contest is open to students in the Mentors Project of Bibb County and to Bibb County members of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. The essay topic seeks to promote reflection on our legal heritage and the role of law in our society, and is based on the theme of Law Day. Awards are annually given to the two authors who compose the essays with the highest scores, as judged by a panel of three attorneys. This award is given at the MBA Law Day meeting in May of each year.

The 2008 recipients were: First Place - Markeshia Zeigler Runner Up - Jamal Freeman.  The recieved their awards at the MBA Law Day luncheon on May 2, 2008.

The Liberty Bell Award is given annually to a lay person or organization in recognition of the recipients efforts to promote a better understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to encourage respect for the law and the courts, to stimulate a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights, to contribute to the effective functioning of our institutions of government, and/or to foster a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law. This award is given at the MBA Law Day meeting in May of each year.

The 2008 recipient is the Southwest High School Law Academy.  Rev. Henry C. Ficklin received the award on behalf of the Academy at the MBA Law Day luncheon on May 2, 2008.

The William A. Bootle Professionalism Award is named in honor of Judge William A. Bootle, who was the inaugural recipient of the award in 2003. The award is given annually to a lawyer whose conduct and interactions with clients, adversaries, courts, and the public demonstrate an ongoing commitment to integrity, to ethics, and to promoting respect and collegiality in the profession of the law. This award is given at the MBA Law Day meeting in May of each year.

The 2008 recipient is Kice H. Stone, Esq., who received the award at the MBA Law Day luncheon on May 2, 2008.

Community Service Recognition Awards are given periodically to recognize members who have demonstrated exceptional or extraordinary commitment to community service. Special consideration is given for volunteer services to charities, non-profits, government, churches, individuals, and the community at large. These awards are given at regular meetings of the Macon Bar Association.

The Walker P. Johnson Award is given annually to a high school student for outstanding perfomance in the Central Georgia Regional High School Mock Trial Competition.  The student is presented with a plaque at a regular meeting of the MBA.

The 2008 recipient is the Robert Marshall, son of MBA members Rep. Jim Marshall and Camille Hope, who received the award on behalf of the Academy at the MBA Law Day luncheon on May 2, 2008.