Williford named Macon’s ‘Lawyer of the Year’ by bar association

Connie Williford was busy in her office during the Macon Bar Association Law Day when her husband, James Marsh, came in with flowers.

That made sense: it was their wedding anniversary.

She wasn’t sure if she was going to join the Zoom luncheon the Macon Bar was holding, but her legal assistant continued to remind her of the call until she eventually logged in.

Williford joined the call with her audio and video off, paying attention but remaining in the background.

It wasn’t until the Macon Bar Association started talking about the awards that the host messaged her to turn on her audio and video.

It dawned on her then, she was about to win lawyer of the year.

Well-deserved recognition

Williford, who runs her own firm as a sole-practitioner, received a letter from the Macon Bar Association detailing why she won the award. The letter noted that Williford is “the embodiment of service to others” and that the Middle Georgia community is “blessed” to have her work in the area.

She said she was excited to receive the award, because it meant she has the respect of her peers.

“I’m thankful not only for the lawyers who recognized me and nominated me, but also the ones who have guided me and mentored me. And been there for me along the way, and that I would just hope that I could pass that on to others,” Williford said.

Nonprofit work

Williford works with a variety of nonprofits in the Macon community, including Legal Food Frenzy, where Georgia and Macon attorneys and legal professionals compete to collect fines and food for the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.

“For the third year in a row, my firm has won that award,” Williford said. “It’s quite telling because I’m a sole practitioner and competing against every other law firm in a 19 county area we’ve won for the last three years.”

Williford and her husband also work with All About Animals Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing homeless and unwanted animals. Many are placed in new homes, but the nonprofit permanently houses some of those animals.

“Some of the animals have been abused and need a lot of training and are scared or vicious; we end up having to keep most of those,” Williford said.

The attorney also provides free and reduced-fee legal work for victims of domestic violence via the Criss Line & Safe House, a family violence shelter in Middle Georgia.

“Their biggest fundraiser every year is a 5k that’s called Phoenix Rising, which is held over in Grey,” Williford said. “My firm has sponsored that 5k for many years, probably for as long as they’ve been doing it.”

Along with her nonprofit work, Williford also helps train the next generation of lawyers as the Supreme Court of Georgia and The Bar Association require new lawyers their first year out to have a mentor.

“I have mentored several new lawyers and I try to be there for younger lawyers in the bar. I might go to lunch with them and sit with them and answer some of their questions or if they have a case that they’re having a particular difficulty with. I always tell them to call me and I’ll give them my advice,” Williford said.

Williford is also on the board of Middle Georgia Access to Justice Inc. which is a program that tries to provide free and reduced legal services to people who need an attorney in civil cases.

“Under the Constitution, you can get a public defender if you are poor, and you are charged with a criminal case but there’s no right to an attorney for a civil case,” Williford said, noting that common civil cases include divorce, child custody or child support, eviction proceedings and probating will.

Williford has also won the Justice Robert Behham Award for Community Service.

“I think now more than ever people ought to be doing all that they can to promote local community organizations in this time of need. Those who are blessed to give back and then in giving back it blesses us. It’s really just a pass it on sort of mentality,” Williford said.