Carolyn and Lewis Cromer, past president of SEABOTA, celebrate his win of the 2008 Best Supporting Actor Award in his son Bubba's movie Bigfoot at the Cackalacky Film Festival. They were attending The Southeastern Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA) Convention in New Orleans when they got the news. The Southeastern Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA) was formed in 2004 to unite the members of 12 local American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) chapters in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The purpose is the promotion of ABOTA's goals of preserving the Seventh Amendment and enhancing the profession through professionalism and civility in the practice of law.

The highlight of the year is the annual convention, the culmination of year's hard work and an opportunity for the entire membership to gather for fun and enlightenment. The Fourth Annual Convention was held in New Orleans April 24- 27, 2008, at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel.

Judy and Luther J. Battiste prepare to follow the brass band to Arnaud's Restaurant. Luther is secretary/treasurer of SEABOTA. The educational theme of the convention focused on the jury trial. Panel discussions moderated by the Hon. Gregory E. Mize of Washington, DC, were held Friday and Saturday mornings. Professor Dane Ciolino of Loyola Law School lectured on professional ethics after the panel on Friday.

The officers for 2007- 2008 were Harry T. Widmann (Louisiana), president; Grady F. Tollison (Mississippi), president- elect; John T. Milburn Rogers (Tennessee), vice president; and Luther J. Battiste III (South Carolina), secretary/treasurer. Joel W. Collins of Columbia, SC, served as chair of the SEABOTA Foundation. Lewis Cromer attended as the founding president of the organization.

The hard work of the trial attorneys earned them the right to the pleasures of the Big Easy. Afternoon tours were organized for the members and their spouses to the Jazz Fest and the National World War II Museum. After a reception in the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel Saturday evening, the members and their spouses, draped in beads and bangles, followed a brass band through the rainy streets of the French Quarter to Arnaud's

Above: Linda Sosbee is all dressed up and ready to hit the streets of New Orleans. Restaurant for the Annual

Awards Banquet.

The Hon. Henry L. Lackey of Mississippi received the Jurist of the Year Award. The long- serving circuit judge reported a bribe attempt by a millionaire Mississippi tort attorney (brother- in- law of former US Sen. Trent Lott) in 2007. Lackey worked with the FBI to investigate and convict Richard Scruggs and Timothy Balducci.

Dr. Warner M. Montgomery of Columbia, SC, received the Journalist of the Year Award. He is the

publisher of The Columbia

Star newspaper and has worked with the South Carolina ABOTA chapter for years by supporting American civil liberties and trial by jury and by reporting on significant court cases by ABOTA members.

Information on ABOTA may be found at

Warner Montgomery (c) receives the 2008 Journalist of the Year Award from Lewis Cromer (l), past president of SEABOTA, and Harry Widmann (r), president of SEABOTA. www.seabota.org and www.abota.org.

Warner M. Montgomery with his wife Linda Sosbee received the 2008 Journalist of the Year from the Southeastern Region of the American Board of Trial Advocates (SEABOTA) during the Fourth Annual Convention in New Orleans April 24- 27, 2008. Joel Collins reports on the status of the SEABOTA Foundation from the stage of LePetit Theatre in New Orleans. Judge Henry Lackey (r) of Mississippi receives the 2008 Jurist of the Year Award from Harry Widmann, president of SEABOTA.