The Gainesville-Northeast Georgia Bar Association celebrated Law Day Friday by giving special recognition to a woman who built a career on serving families and giving neglected and abused children a voice in the courtroom.
Juveline Court Attorney Ari Mathé made the nomination and said, "I've seen first hand how this person's works with clients has enabled abused children to reveal to the courts and law enforcement details of their abuse and to be able to heal from those things successfully through ongoing support and treatment."
Mathé also got the chance to announce Gabby Smith as the recipient of the 2018 Liberty Bell Award and she received a standing ovation.
Gabby Smith received a standing ovation from the crowd as she accepted her award.
Currently, Smith works as a therapist for Chestatee Counseling Services in Hall County but Mathé says she's done a lot more than just that. "She's previously been a DFACS case manager, a parent aide, a visitation transporter, and many other roles," Mathé added when talking about Smith's career history.
Mathé explained that one of the most valuable assets Smith brings to the courts and to the families she serves also makes her one of the most effective saying, "She provides meaningful follow up and cooperates with community partners to achieve real results beyond just making empty recommendations, contemplating the reality of our client's lives rather than setting unreasonable goals that appear out of reach and thus discouraging and defeating."
Each year the Bar Association chooses someone who is not an attorney to receive the award for the contribution to the court system.
