Legal Experts Develop J-BAR in Wake of Hamas Attacks

Georgia has as many Bar Associations as Baskin Robbins has flavors, except heretofore, a Jewish one.

Judge Jay Roth said, “Stacey Hydrick, Darren Tobin and I met over coffee, discussed the idea, created a list of our Jewish judicial and lawyer friends … interest in J-BAR has grown due to the increase of antisemitism over the past year and Oct. 7.”

Attorney Darren Tobin feels the need to “stand up” and be given the same consideration of other minorities.

Bar associations such as the Atlanta Bar Association, Lawyers Club of Atlanta, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Dekalb, Cobb, and Sandy Springs Bar Associations, Georgia Association of Black Woman Attorneys, the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association, Gate City and Stonewall Bar Association play an important part in the legal community. However, Roth concluded, “While Jewish lawyers belong to some of these, it was time for a Jewish Bar Association to be a part of the legal community.”

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Roth added that he gets calls from other judges and attorneys asking the rules, regulations and traditions concerning Jewish holidays.

“Most Jewish lawyers would not want to start a trial on a High Holiday. Some would compare it to starting on Christmas. Our Jewish Bar Association gives members a place to communicate and receive this information to make decisions. We also plan tikkun olam projects and create an atmosphere for Jewish lawyers to share ideas for other community projects.”

Not a stranger to antisemitism, a swastika was engraved on Roth’s courtroom door. While an investigation was conducted by the local Sheriff’s Department, no one was identified or charged. Roth has served in the Fulton County Court system for 35 years. As a judge, he served in state and magistrate courts.

Judge Stacey Hydrick heard about a Jewish Bar Association while visiting New York. She said, “Frankly, the idea of a Jewish Bar Association never crossed my mind. When I returned home, I mentioned the concept to Judge Roth, and we bounced the idea around for a few years.”

In 2023, Roth noted that attorney Darren Tobin was also interested. The three met and gathered email addresses and drafted the E-vite for the first meeting.

She said, “Then Oct. 7 happened – our invitations were sent out Oct. 8.”
They initially planned on meeting in Hydrick’s living room; but after receiving more than 100 responses, they pivoted to Congregation Or Hadash. Now there are 230 active members.

She explained, “While there are a handful of Jewish state court judges in Fulton and DeKalb, there are only two state Jewish superior court judges: Judge Karpf in Savannah, and me. There are also no Jewish judges on the Georgia Court of Appeals or Supreme Court. I was tired of attending Council meetings and invocations ending ‘in Jesus’ name.’ I always wanted to do something – but after Oct. 7, I knew I had to do something!”

She concluded, “Unfortunately, with the explosion of antisemitism this past year, I am frequently in earshot of antisemitic comments and am dismayed by the lack of public outrage and the silence of so many influential people.”

Hydrick was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in 2019. As a superior court judge, she presides over felony criminal, domestic and civil cases.

Judge Jay Roth had a swastika engraved on his courtroom door. The investigation led nowhere.

Tobin wants to ensure that any Jewish lawyer who wants to connect with other Jewish lawyers (socially, religiously, or professionally) has access to like-minded lawyers. He stated, “We have a listserv where if we find out about a death, and the family would like to sit shiva, we can mobilize lawyers to go to the home for a minyan. Another example, recently GSU Law School awarded an antisemitic lawyer an achievement award. Many of us stood together against this.”

Tobin laments the DEI theory where he is seen as a white male. When he attends legal functions, he may be the only lawyer who keeps kosher. Sometimes he can’t even attend if the meetings fall on a Jewish holiday or on Shabbat. He declared, “I never stay quiet; I ask the organizer why there isn’t a vegetarian option, or why something that could have been planned on a weeknight was held on a Friday night. I believe it’s important that Jewish lawyers get the same consideration as other minorities. I feel I need to stand up. That was a large driving force, for me personally to start J-BAR.”

In terms of antisemitism, Tobin had a jury trial where, through social media, potential jurors were “spewing pro-Hamas nonsense.” Careful not to call them out in front of the jury pool, he could tell that they wanted to get on the jury “to get at me.”

Tobin owns a Buckhead personal injury trial firm of 10. J-BAR, a 501c3, is open to anyone regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or race. For more info, please visit www.j-bar.org.