At the beginning of the month, I had the distinct honor of being named to the Rising Stars list for the 2018 Georgia Super Lawyers magazine in the practice of family law. Less than 2.5% of eligible attorneys in Georgia are selected for this honor. To qualify as a “Rising Star”, an attorney must either be under the age of 40 or have practiced law for less than 10 years.
When you look at the list of Rising Stars in Georgia Family Law, the real star becomes quite evident. By my count, roughly 10% of the Rising Stars in Family Law across the State of Georgia have had their careers directly impacted by Michael Manely, often times having their first job as an attorney from Michael Manely, but all having at some point in their career had Michael Manely as a mentor and teacher.
I am certainly no different. While I have been fortunate to have some incredibly generous mentors in the practice of law, I have but one mentor in the practice of family law: Michael Manely. What I know about family law, I’ve learned during my employment by Michael Manely. How I approach my cases and engage with the families I serve, I learned from Michael Manely. My successes in court and in the legal community are directly a product of the time and energy Michael Manely has invested in me. When faced with a difficult scenario, I turn to Michael Manely for guidance.
I am not a family law attorney without Michael Manely. I would not be a partner in an international family law firm that literally saves children from being absconded to remote and far flung countries around the globe without Michael Manely. I certainly would not be categorized as a “Rising Star” without Michael Manely. And I know that some 10% of this year’s stars are the same.
Thank you, Michael Manely. Our stars are all the brighter because of your tireless investment in us.
David Purvis