Thank you, Manley, very much for that generous introduction. I am deeply honored and truly humbled to receive the Tradition of Excellence Award. I am sincerely grateful to the General Practice and Trial Section for considering me for this award. What an honor to be included on the list of truly great trial lawyers who have received this award. Congratulations to Sally, Judge Sands and Jim.

I was so fortunate to have had Manley Brown and Lamar Sizemore as mentors and partners for so many years. No lawyer could ever hope to have better training and role models, not just for how to competently handle a case but how to handle a case with professionalism and civility. Without their mentoring and training I would not be standing here today.

This is actually the second time in my professional life Manley has introduced me, but this is the first time I have been present for the introduction. To show you how things come full circle in life and the law profession, many years ago Manley introduced me at Law Day at Mercer Law School as the 1st recipient of the Hank O’Neal Scholarship.

As many of you know, Hank O’Neal was one of Georgia’s great trial lawyers. He was Manley’s, Lamar Sizemore, Hardy Gregory, Kice Stone and others’ great mentor. When he passed away, a scholarship fund was created in his honor at Mercer Law School.

At Law Day in Spring, 1986, Manley announced the scholarship and the awarding of the scholarship was made. I was still on active duty in the US Army and unable to attend. My parents attended and accepted on my behalf. Thankfully, some 32 years later, my parents are again able to be here when Manley introduces me but unlike in Manley’s first introduction, I am also happily able to attend.

No lawyer of any success or devotion accomplishes without the help from people in and out of the practice. First, my wife Lizzie. No trial lawyer could ever ask for a more supportive and understanding wife. She has had great patience and understanding for the demands a trial practice places on a marriage and a family. She has never wavered in her support after 25 years of marriage. I am so grateful to her.

Together, and frankly perhaps more her than me, we have raised two fine sons. I am sorry they could not be here today. Our oldest, John, just graduated a month ago from The Citadel, accepted a commission in the US Army as a Regular Army Officer and is enjoying an all-expense paid vacation at Fort Benning. Robert, our youngest, just finished his sophomore year at Bates College and is working, thankfully, this summer and could not be here.

I also want to thank my parents, John and Judy Clark. Just like your mentors in the law profession, you hopefully get the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of your parents.

I was recently asked by students at Mercer Law School who influenced me the most to attend law school. I immediately had the answer – my father. My father was not a lawyer. In fact, there are no lawyers in my family. My father was a career banker. Many in today’s world would not expect a career banker to encourage their child to become a lawyer, much less a trial lawyer. But my father had a great respect and understanding for the importance of the rule of law and the role lawyers play in our society. He had a great admiration for lawyers’ problem-solving ability, their devotion to their clients and their ethical conduct. I am eternally grateful he understood those things and conveyed them to me. Without my parents teaching, discipline, love and encouragement, I would not be standing here today.

I have been blessed to practice over the last several years with Mike Smith and Lamar’s son, Rick Sizemore. Their professional integrity, competency and general good nature have been invaluable to me and our firm. They are truly great partners.

Lawyers have an awesome responsibility in our democracy. They have sworn an oath to uphold the constitution and the rights of its citizens. They must have a real sense of justice and have high standards of competency and professionalism. We as lawyers should understand how our conduct and actions affect not only our profession but our communities and our democracy. Uncivil/unethical conduct demeans our profession, demeans the administration of justice and ultimately demeans our democracy.

It seems we are in a time and place in the country where civil and professional discourse has left us, where people and entities strive to create disharmony, dissension and uncivil behavior and where a respectful, thoughtful exchange of ideas and positions have left us. People are less civil to one another.

Courtesy, good manners and chivalry are disappearing. Winning at all costs is acceptable behavior. Television shows/media put premium on rude behavior, constant interruption which of course sends the message it is not acceptable to respect views of others. This is a very slippery slope to a divisive society; a society that in the end destroys itself. I am afraid such conduct tears at the very fiber of our democracy.

As has been true in so many instances in the history of the country, lawyers must lead and set the example otherwise. We as lawyers should first and foremost lead by conducting ourselves with civility, integrity and professionalism.

Lawyers must encourage respectful, thoughtful and civil exchange of ideas and positions in order to bring productive solutions to problems instead of begetting more problems and strife. Lawyers and judges must encourage civility, integrity and professional conduct among themselves and with each other. We should act with courtesy and respect for our fellow lawyers, the court and all people we encounter, whether client or adversary. If the lawyers and judges do not lead by example, then who will?

We must be mindful of our obligations to the administration of justice, which is a truth-seeking process designed to resolve human and societal problems in a rational, peaceful and efficient manner. If we do not do these things, then we will lose our profession and if we lose our profession, we will lose our democracy.

We all stand on the shoulders of the great lawyers and judges who have come before us in the profession of law. When you look at the list of past recipients of the Tradition of Excellence Award you recognize the names of giants in the profession. They are lawyers and judges who set a very worthy example of competency, professionalism and civility for those following in the profession.

I ask all of you in this room and all of you who may read these remarks – are you conducting yourself in the profession today, are you doing enough in the profession today, such that younger lawyers can stand on your shoulders and the younger lawyers today can continue the tradition of excellence for future generations?

Thank you.