On May 31, 1947, what is now the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, commonly known as the YLD, was formed. All members of the Bar who have not yet reached their 36th birthday or who have been admitted to their first bar less than five years are automatically members. Today, the YLD is one of the most dynamic arms of the Bar, offering outreach to both the profession and to the publ
ic through various legal programs and projects. Over the years, the YLD's various committees have accomplished amazing things. For example, the YLD is recognized as the moving force behind the Georgia Legal Services Program. In 1968, the YLD initiated a study to address the needs of the poor, concluding that "there was a distressing disproportion between the actual need for legal services by those who could not afford them and the present supply of legal services available to them." As a result of reports like these, the YLD created GLSP in 1971. The YLD is also the source of the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program. Founded in 1987, it has grown into a nationally recognized educational program. Another project credited to the YLD is the rewrite of Georgia's Juvenile Justice Code. In 2004, the YLD secured funding to create a model juvenile code, and the YLD's Juvenile Law Committee spearheaded an entire overhaul of the previous code. The governor's Criminal Justice Reform Council focused on reforms to Georgia's juvenile law and legislation was passed unanimously by the Georgia General Assembly during the 2013 legislative session to rewrite and recognize Georgia's juvenile law. The YLD has been recognized numerous times throughout its 67 years with various awards from the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. In keeping with its motto of "working for the profession and the public," the YLD has over 30 hard-working committees that provide service to the public, the profession and the Bar through an array of projects and programs. Did You Know We Have 13 Affiliate YLDs Around the State?
-Albany County YLD
-Augusta YLD
-Cobb County YLD
-Columbus YLD
-DeKalb County YLD
-Glynn County YLD
-Gwinnett County YLD
-Houston County YLD
-Macon YLD
-Rome YLD
-Savannah YLD
-Valdosta YLD
-Western Circuit YLD
