Lee B. Carter | Rome Circuit, Post 2

Candidate Statement

I am running to represent the Rome Circuit on the State Bar’s Board of Governors with one goal in mind: to advocate for you and the issues that shape a small-town practice.

We’re fortunate to practice in a unique place. Rome is big enough to give us meaningful work and opportunities, but still removed from the pressures, noise and pace of larger cities. I do not take this for granted, having started my career in Atlanta with King & Spalding. There, I was exposed to large, complex cases and fantastically talented lawyers. But I was also a fungible billing unit—number 11065, to be exact.

I moved back home to Rome 15 years ago, not for money or prestige, but to actually practice law—to take ownership of my work, to build genuine relationships with clients and colleagues and to lead a more grounded life. I wanted the kind of practice where your work still leaves room for family, community and purpose.

I don’t claim to know every challenge you face in your practice. But I can promise to listen. I can promise to show up. And I can promise to be an advocate for you and this circuit. I would be honored to serve as one of your representatives on the Board of Governors.

Education

• University of Georgia, B.A., magna cum laude with honors in History and Political Science, Phi Beta Kappa (May 2005)
• University of Georgia, J.D., cum laude (May 2008)

Personal/Family

• I live with my family in Rome—down the street from my parents and the house I grew up in. My wife and I have two children, ages 10 and 6, and a 7-year-old golden retriever.
• I enjoy sports, the outdoors and, according to my family, too many hobbies. My favorite time is exploring new places with our family of four.
• Being a father is my greatest joy, but leadership has also been a consistent part of my life—from college to the present.

Professional Background, Bar Activities, Civic Activities

• I have practiced law since 2008. I began my career in Atlanta as a business litigation associate with King & Spalding, LLP. In 2011, I moved home to Rome and joined Brinson, Askew, Berry, Seigler, Richardson & Davis, LLP. I made partner in 2014 and remained at Brinson Askew & Berry until the fall of 2023.
• In October 2023, I, along with my current partners, opened Davis Lucas Carter LLP. This was a leap of faith—a time to bet on ourselves and to chart a new course forward.
• Throughout my 18 years of practicing law, I have primarily focused on business litigation. These disputes have ranged from basic contract disputes to complex RICO cases—representing both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts. In recent years, my practice has expanded to include work as outside general counsel to companies and representing those same companies in various transactions.
• Locally, I have been involved with several organizations. Civically, I am a member and former president of the Seven Hills Rotary Club. I currently serve on the board of the Greater Rome Community Foundation and the Government Affairs Committee for the Rome Floyd Chamber. Previously, I have served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, the Rome Floyd Chamber and the Northwest Georgia Council for Boy Scouts of America.
• Professionally, I have been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Business Litigation and am AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. I currently serve as a trustee on the Georgia Legal History Foundation and I previously participated in the Leadership Academy for the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar.
• I am an alumnus of Leadership Georgia and Leadership Rome, and I was previously recognized by Rome Life Magazine as “20 Under 40.”

Why I’m Running

Through nearly two decades of practice and service in both professional and civic organizations, I bring a balanced perspective on the challenges facing lawyers in our area and around the state.

Main Issues Facing the State Bar/Position

One of the biggest issues I see facing the practice of law and the State Bar is the explosion of artificial intelligence. I see AI as both a tool for knowledgeable practitioners and as a weapon of abuse. It may very well allow a small firm like our own to compete with larger firms. But I’m also concerned with the fabrication of evidence and other abuses, which clog up our courts and have the potential of undermining trust in our judicial system.