Gainesville lawyer recognized by American Bar Association

Gainesville attorney Ashley Bell was named one of the Top 40 Young Lawyers in the country this week by the American Bar Association.
 
Bell, 35, has been practicing law for over a decade. In 2007, he and Quinton G. Washington created Bell & Washington LLP, which celebrates its ninth anniversary this year.
 
Their firm has handled high profile cases such as the child custody case of R&B Entertainer Usher, Atlanta Councilwoman Karen Williams, and Gainesville Racial Slur Lawsuit.

“I recall meeting one of my first clients in jail only to find out he was a high school classmate on his fifth marijuana possession charge. In that moment, I knew then that our criminal justice system wasn't equipped to address the underlying problems facing the poor and communities of color,” said Bell in a press release. “Although our practice has evolved away from criminal law, I have never given up trying to seek justice for people who are trapped in a failed system."
 
Bell is also the founder of 2020 Leaders of America, a bi-partisan group of the nation’s most influential coalition of elected officials, legal professionals, civic and business leaders focused on criminal justice reform.
Washington, meanwhile, was recently named Fulton County Magistrate Court Judge. He will be sworn in Friday morning by Judge Pinkie Toomer.
 
“The Magistrate Court is often called the ‘People’s Court.' Given the changing faces of the communities we serve, it will be my obligation to ensure the court offers every person a fair trial and due process," said Washington in the release.