KATIE KING | November 27, 2017

Perez received the honor for her tireless work on behalf of survivors of domestic violence. 

Jamie Perez received the prestigious Family First Award, given to her by the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section. Pictured are (left to right): Mindy Pillow (Pillow Law, Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect), Dawn Smith (Smith & Lake, Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section Member at Large), Jamie Perez, J. Ashley Sawyer (Sawyer Family Law, Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section Secretary), and Emily Yu (Yu Family Law, Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section Member at Large).

The Atlanta Bar Association gave Safe and Stable Families Director Jamie Perez their prestigious Family First award on Monday, November 6. 

The Family First Award is granted annually to a member of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Family Law Section who recognizes the importance of protecting the most vulnerable during family crises. 

Perez received the award at the 28th Annual Family Law Section Luncheon Honoring the Judges of Fulton County Superior Court. Dawn Smith, an attorney at Smith & Lake, LLC, and previous Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation deputy director, presented the honor. 

“Our recipient today fights tirelessly to keep families safe and makes me proud to be a lawyer,” Smith said.

“This award is designed to acknowledge the importance of those lawyers among us that take the extra step to stand up for children, recognizing that the best indicator of child health after divorce is the level of conflict,” Smith said. “Children who are exposed to domestic violence show comparable levels of emotional and behavioral problems to children who were direct victims. Our recipient today exhibits these qualities, fights tirelessly to keep families safe, and makes me proud to be a lawyer.”

Governor Nathan Deal, Superior Court Chief Judge Gail Tusan, Judge Chris McFadden, and other leaders of the family law section were in attendance to watch Perez accept her award. 

Perez oversees AVLF’s Domestic Violence, Guardian ad Litem, and Family Law programs in her role as Safe and Stable Families Director. 

With an award like this, Jamie must be doing something right. Learn more about AVLF’s Safe and Stable Families Project to see what she’s been up to. 

Katie King

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Katie handles all of the online communications for AVLF, overseeing the organization’s social media campaigns, newsletters, and website. She is passionate about community engagement and the city of Atlanta. Katie holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an M.A. in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. Follow her on social media at @katiecarterking.