Chattanooga attorney Bo Hixson is getting in the spirit of this election year by running for an out-of-state position on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia. Five candidates are vying for the spot; Hixson is the only candidate from Tennessee.
Hixson says out-of-state attorneys who practice in Georgia need a voice in the State Bar. “The line between Tennessee and Georgia has become blurred in many respects since I began practicing law in 1986, particularly since I passed the Georgia Bar Examination in 1991. Numerous people live in one state, work in the other, and interact with each other as if the line does not exist,” he said. “Geographical limits do not bind business transactions or human interaction, particularly in the era of electronic and digital communication. Therefore, it is critical for out-of-state attorneys who practice in Georgia to have a voice in the State Bar. I can provide that voice.”
Chattanooga is adjacent to several Georgia counties and less than two hours from Atlanta. In addition, the practices of Tennessee attorneys licensed in Georgia are burgeoning as Metro Atlanta grows closer each year and the populations of the counties between Chattanooga and Atlanta expand.
“Our clients who have transactional, litigation, and estate planning needs with their multi-generation and blended families living in both states require us to have an active presence with the State Bar,” Hixson says. “Attorneys in Southeast Tennessee often have more interaction with North Georgia attorneys than they do with Middle and East Tennessee lawyers, and Atlanta is closer to our practices than Nashville.
Hixson is an attorney with Duncan, Hatcher, Hixson & Fleenor. His areas of practice include commercial and real estate litigation, construction and lien disputes, premises liability, foreclosures, title issues, landlord-tenant law, and creditor’s rights.
Upon graduating from the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Law in the 1980s, Hixson moved to Chattanooga to take a litigation position. When that situation changed, he moved to Shumacker Thompson, where he remained until that firm’s dissolution in 2006. He then entered into practice with attorney Paul Hatcher.
Serving on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia would allow Hixson to add to his already solid record of service to his profession and community. With regard to legal work, he participated in the Chattanooga Bar Association’s P.A.T.H. to General Sessions Court program when it was active. Through the program, individuals with a case on the Monday docket were able to receive information about Sessions Court rules and procedures from volunteer attorneys.
In other service, Hixson is a past chair of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition and a currrent board member of Metropolitan Ministries and Chattanooga Room in the Inn. He also serves on the vestry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Hixson is married to his wife, Carol, with whom he has two sons and a daughter. Hixson’s oldest son, Rett, is also a lawyer at Duncan Hatcher.
To vote for Hixson online, visit www.gabar.org. The deadline for casting a ballot is April 29 at 11:59 p.m.
“Given our proximity to Georgia and the frequency with which we practice there, we Tennesseans would benefit from having a presence in the State Bar of Georgia,” Hixson wrote in a letter he sent to Georgia-licensed attorneys in Chattanooga. “I’m ready to serve in that role, but I need your support.”