We sat down to speak with new State Bar President Chris Twyman. By virtue of his office, President Twyman will serve for the coming year on the Judicial Council of Georgia.
Condensed and edited for clarity.
Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez: Would you please share your educational and professional background with our readers?
Chris Twyman: Yes, I grew up in Rome, Georgia and attended East Rome High School, where I was a member of the last graduating class. Thereafter, East Rome High School merged with its biggest rival. So, that was quite an experience. After high school, I attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and graduated in 1996. From there, I studied a year at Loyola University School of Law in Chicago and then went on to the University of Georgia School of Law. After graduating from law school in 1999, I was presented with several professional opportunities. I had clerked for some Atlanta firms after my second year of law school and was offered associate positions at big firms, but I got a call from some attorneys in my hometown. They simply asked me to hear them out and to entertain returning to Rome to practice law. So, I went back home, met with them, and decided to return to Rome to practice at a small firm, where I was given major responsibility from the outset and gained invaluable on-your-feet experience in court while still a very young litigator. It was the best professional decision I ever made.
I’ve been practicing for 26 years now. I started out with the firm of Hine & Niedrach. About a year after I started, John Niedrach, who now serves as Chief Superior Court Judge, left to form a boutique transactional firm. In 2005, I decided to join that firm to start their litigation department. I remember 2005 well. It was a big year for me. I joined what would become Cox Byington Twyman and my older child, my daughter, was born in that same year. There have been a few name changes along the way, but I’ve really only ever worked for those two firms—Hine & Niedrach and Cox Byington Twyman.
My practice is primarily a litigation practice, but in smaller cities like Rome, Georgia, sometimes you are called upon to do many things. For instance, I also represent the Rome City School District—both the schools and the School Board. And, in my litigation practice, I do both civil and criminal work. I’m proud to lead a full-service, general practice law firm that is deeply rooted in Northwest Georgia, while serving our community and beyond.
NL-A: What led you to serve in the leadership of the State Bar of Georgia?
Chris Twyman: I became interested in the State Bar after speaking with Todd Carroll, a longtime member of the State Bar’s Board of Governors. He and I worked in the same building for a bit. Of course, I had been a member of the State Bar and certainly knew about its many offerings, but in the beginning of my career I did not attend many State Bar functions. For example, YLD events were typically held mid-week and were at least an hour’s drive away from Rome, so I opted not to attend. However, eventually, I decided I would start attending the State Bar Annual Meeting, where I was able to get my CLEs, take my family to the beach, and meet other attorneys from all over the state. In 2017, I ran in a contested election to represent my region of the state on the Board of Governors. In 2019, then-President Darrell Sutton appointed me to chair a Special Committee on Professional Liability Insurance. That Committee’s initial charge was to study whether Georgia attorneys should be required to carry professional liability insurance. It was a very contentious issue. Members of the committee were of opposing opinions, but we intentionally sought feedback from attorneys across the state on a grassroots level and held town halls in several different cities. Then, COVID hit. So instead of wrapping it up in a year, it took us two years, but we finally brought it to a close and it was decided not to require attorneys to carry professional liability insurance. Thereafter, several people told me they thought I had done a good job guiding that committee and achieving finality on that issue.
That leadership role raised my profile within the Board of Governors. Shortly thereafter, I was nominated to serve as Secretary of the Bar. No one ran against me, so I became Secretary in an unopposed election. Typically, from the Secretary’s position, State Bar officers move up in lock step to Treasurer, President-Elect, and President. So, four years later, I’m honored to serve as State Bar President.
NL-A: And, the rest is history.
Chris Twyman: And, the rest is history. But, truly, it was that appointment as Chair for the Professional Liability Insurance Committee that really got me involved as a leader, and it was quite an issue. It dominated our Bar discussions for over a year.
NL-A: That appointment really changed the trajectory of your involvement.
Chris Twyman: Absolutely, just eight years after joining the Board of Governors, I’m serving as President. I was always so focused on the work at hand that I hadn’t ever considered my quick rise through leadership. It only occurred to me as I was getting ready for my inauguration last month.
NL-A: Now that you are President, what are your priorities for the coming year?
Chris Twyman: The State Bar is in a great position right now. One issue that we tackled over this past year was artificial intelligence, specifically where AI fits within the practice of law. Immediate Past President, Ivy Cadle, established a committee to study the Rules of Professional of Conduct to determine whether those needed to be amended in light of the widespread use of AI. That charge is largely completed, so I’ll be extending that Committee with a new charge on how we can implement those recommendations and to roll out an Artificial Intelligence Toolkit, which will be posted on the State Bar website as a resource to provide guidance on the use of AI in the practice of law. Likewise, we will also look into how AI can be leveraged to improve Bar operations. We hear frequently that AI can improve operational efficiency, so we’ll be looking hard at that. We’ll be homing in on how AI can be used to help us in many respects—on the program side and on the General Counsel side, where we deal with attorney discipline.
I will also focus on our Bar Center at 104 Marietta Street in Atlanta—a great presence in the heart of downtown. We have some prime office space currently available there and we’re actively marketing it. That entire area of the city is redeveloping around the Gulch, Mercedes Benz Stadium, and State Farm Arena. Downtown Atlanta is having a resurgence. We’ll be working to maximize a great return for our membership.
We’re also looking at how our committees operate. In particular, how to make them more effective and more a part of the way we govern. We want our committees to bring forward innovative initiatives for the Board of Governors to consider. Part of that is holding our committees accountable. So, we’ll be doing two things differently this year. First, we’ll be taking attendance at every committee meeting to properly account for quorums and to gauge member participation. Second, we’ll be recording minutes of every committee meeting. Recording formal minutes will help the Bar staff to carry out directives from our committees and action items will be clear to all.
The last of my top priorities is to remind lawyers of their role in our justice system. Chief Justice Peterson focused on that in his investiture speech and I made that topic an integral part of my inaugural address at our Annual Meeting. We as lawyers need to remember our oath. We also need to fulfill our oath—whether that’s zealously representing an unpopular client or respecting all decisions handed down by the courts because the Rule of Law is a pillar of our democracy. I hope to inspire lawyers to volunteer to do more law-related education. I’d love to see more “Law Day” events all throughout the year, not just in May.
NL-A: Last but not least, what do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Chris Twyman: When I’m not working? Let’s see. I love traveling. I enjoy culture and history as well. I also love sports—attending events and playing sports, especially golf. I’m a fan of all the Atlanta Sports teams. I love the Falcons and enjoy season tickets to their games.
NLA: We love the Falcons at my house, too.
Chris Twyman: This is our year!
NLA: Agreed, Rise Up!
Chris Twyman: Rise Up!
