Lester Tate

Lester Tate is the principal and owner of the law firm of Akin & Tate located in Cartersville, Georgia.  He has practiced law in Georgia since 1987. His practice includes personal injury, workers’ compensation and criminal defense. 

He is a member of several bar-related organizations including the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and he currently serves as President of the Southeastern Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is a member of the International Society of Barristers, the Litigation Counsel of America, the American Bar Association, the Atlanta Bar Association, the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation board, and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. He served as the 48th President of the State Bar of Georgia.

Lester worked in Congress from 1983-85 as the Press Secretary for Congressman George Buddy Darden. He graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology and from the University of South Carolina Law School. He is the father of two adult children. 

You may learn more about Lester on his website akintate.com.

CURRENT
  • President, Southeast Region American Board of Trial Advocate (SEABOTA)
  • Member, American Bar Association House of Delegates
  • Board Member, Advisory Board of the Georgia Chapter of the American Constitution Society
  • Board Member, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation Board of Directors
  • Board Member, Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia
  • Board Member, Georgia Tech School of Literature, Media and Communications Advisory Board
  • Board Member, Civil Justice PAC, Inc. (the political arm of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association)
PAST
  • Chair, Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission
  • Chair, General Practice and Trial Section of the State Bar of Georgia
  • Treasurer, State Bar of Georgia
  • President, Federal Defender Board Northern District of Georgia
  • Chair, Investigative Panel of State Bar of Georgia’s Disciplinary Board
  • Chair, Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency
  • Chair, Board of Trustees, Institute for Continuing Legal Education
  • Member (Representing the Cherokee Judicial Circuit), Board of Governors of State Bar of Georgia
  • Chairman, Bartow United Way Campaign
  • President, Georgia Chapter of ABOTA
  • Member, Federal Magistrate Selection Committee, U.S. Dist. Ct. N.D. of Ga.
  • Member, American Bar Association’s Standing Committee of the American Judicial Syste
AWARDS
  • Woodland High School Community Volunteer Award (1999-2000
  • Friend of the New Frontiers Award (2009)
  • Co-recipient (with other members of the Judicial Qualifications Commission) of the 2014
  • Weltner Award, given by the Georgia First Amendment Foundation
  • VOLUNTARY BAR MEMBERSHIPS
  • American Bar Association
  • American Association of Justice
  • Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (Champion Member)
  • Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Georgia Federal Bar Association
  • Bartow County Bar Association
  • Cobb Bar Association
  • Atlanta Bar Association
  • Old War Horse Lawyers
  • Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta
OTHER
  • Leadership Bartow (Class 0f 2012)
  • Gridiron Club
Lester Tate