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Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
William Augustus Bootle American Inn of Court
The American Inn of Court movement began in
1979 when then-Chief Justice Burger, after visiting with members
of the Inns of Court in Great Britain, conceived the idea of a
similar organization in this country that would bring together
experienced lawyers, judges, law teachers, and law students in
an effort to enhance advocacy, collegiality and ethics. Today,
there are hundreds of Inns across the country. For information
on the American Inns of Court, visit http://www.innsofcourt.org.
In 1999, the William A. Bootle Inn of Court was founded by leading
members of the Macon bench and bar, in cooperation with the faculty
and administration of the Walter F. George School of Law. The
Bootle Inn consists of many prominent local lawyers and judges,
and each year the Inn admits approximately thirteen third-year
law students. Dean Daisy Floyd and Professors Joe Claxton, David
Hricik, Jim Fleissner, and Patrick Longan are members. Inn membership
is both a local and national honor. For more information on the
Bootle Inn, visit its web site at
http://www.innsofcourt.org/inns/bootleinn/.
One of the purposes of an Inn of Court
is to provide informal opportunities for experienced practitioners
and judges to pass on knowledge and skills to less experienced
lawyers and law students. To fulfill this purpose of the Inn,
student members are assigned to "pupillage teams." Each
pupillage team meets separately from the Inn's scheduled meetings
to give the students the opportunity to get to know the lawyers
and judges assigned to their teams in less formal settings.
The Inn also each year awards the Walker
P. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Award. The Award was established in 2001
to recognize a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence
in litigation skills and a keen sense of professionalism and ethics
while a student at the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer
University. This award honors the memory of Superior Court Judge
Walker P. Johnson, Jr., an adjunct faculty member and great friend
of the School of Law. Last year's recipient was Mary Weeks.
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