HISTORY

The Transition Into Prosecution Program is the prosecution-based educational program for assistant district attorneys, assistant solicitors-general and other prosecutors who are admitted to the practice of law on or after July 1, 2005. The Transition Into Prosecution Program was approved by the Commission on Continuing Legal Competency of the State Bar of Georgia on September 1, 2005 pursuant to Rule 8-104 of the Rules of the State Bar of Georgia (hereafter St. Bar. R.) for use by state and local prosecutors in the State of Georgia to meet the requirements of the Transition Into Law Practice Program of the State Bar of Georgia.

PURPOSE

The purpose of Transition Into Prosecution is to take newly admitted attorneys who enter prosecution and develop them fully into functional prosecutors with the practical skills, judgment and professional values to enable them to prosecute in a highly competent manner.

HOW TO ENROLL

The process for newly admitted prosecuting attorneys, registering for the Transition Into Prosecution Program is as follows:

1. The newly admitted prosecuting attorney requests that the head of the office (district attorney, solicitor-general or chief municipal prosecuting attorney) designate a senior assistant as his or her mentor.  Note: In larger prosecutors’ offices a mentoring program coordinator may have been appointed to handle this responsibility. Unlike the TILPP program for lawyers in private practice, the beginning lawyer cannot nominate his or her mentor.  See OCGA §§ 15-18-21(b); 15-18-72(a).
2. After the mentor has been designated, the mentor and the newly admitted prosecuting attorney (“mentee”) must complete the Transition Into Prosecution Mentoring Plan Registration form.

The completed form can be sent via email:
State Bar of Georgia
Transition Into Law Practice Program
email: TILPP@gabar.org

3. During the first year following admission to the Bar, the beginning prosecutor must complete the Model Mentoring Plan of Activities and Experiences For State and Local Prosecuting Attorneys as well as the Fundamentals of Prosecution Course.
4. Once both portions of the program are complete, the new prosecutor must submit the Completion Certificate to the State Bar of Georgia by email to TILPP@gabar.org.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Transition Into Prosecution Program consists of two components: a one-year mentoring period and the Fundamentals of Prosecution Course.

During the first year following admission to the Bar, the new prosecutor is assigned an experienced prosecutor from his or her office who will guide them through a series of activities and experiences contained in the Model Mentoring Plan of Activities and Experiences For State and Local Prosecuting Attorneys. Each mentor must be an experienced prosecutor who has been a member of the Bar for at least 5 years and meets the highest professional and ethical standards. Prosecution mentors are nominated by the elected head of the office and appointed by the Supreme Court of Georgia. The elected head of the office has the option to adopt the Model Mentoring Plan as approved or may modify the plan to develop a specific plan of activities to be completed over the course of the twelve months of mentoring which is tailored to meet the specific needs of the office. If your office elects to develop a modified plan, it must be submitted to the Transition Into Law Practice Program Department of the State Bar of Georgia for approval prior to the start of the mentoring year.

The Fundamentals of Prosecution Course is a 8-hour continuing legal education program conducted annually by PAC. The Course has been approved by the Commission on Continuing Legal Competency as a substitute for Enhanced Bridge the Gap and Fundamentals of Law Practice Programs that newly admitted attorneys are required to attend as part of the Transition Into Law Practice Program.

EXEMPTIONS

If the newly admitted prosecuting attorney was admitted to practice in another jurisdiction and was admitted on motion without taking the Georgia Bar Examination, took the “1-Day Attorney Examination” or was admitted to practice in Georgia but practiced law outside the state of Georgia, he or she may be eligible to apply for exemption from the TILPP requirements.  Only the TILPP office can approve a request for exemption.

STATE BAR REQUIREMENTS

New mentors are also required to submit the following to the State Bar of Georgia:

• Mentor Volunteer Form

These documents can be found here.