Gerry Weber
Law Offices
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Gerald R. Weber, Jr.
Legal Director, ACLU of Georgia
Date of Birth: June 2, 1964 in Middletown, Connecticut
Residence: Atlanta
Education: B.S. degree in finance/law from Illinois State (1986); law degree, University of Georgia Law School (1989).
Accomplishments: After graduating No. 1 in his law school class, he chose the ACLU over a high-paying law firm position. Among his major victories, integrating a "whites only" club on behalf of a 5-year-old multi-racial child. Currently represents 11 fifth-graders strip-searched by their teacher to find $26. Weber sees himself as "a voice in the courts for those who have no voice: the poor, the homeless, children and anyone who does not toe the party line." Besides ACLU work, Weber is an adjunct professor in constitutional litigation at Emory Law School.
Ambition: To inspire others to public service and to continue helping people obtain justice and ensure their freedom.
Civic Activities: Chairperson, Task Force for The Homeless Legal Team; UGA Library Board of Trustees; Advisory Board, Jeanette Rankin Foundation (scholarships for older women)
People He Admires: Former Justice William Brennan, for his efforts to protect the Constitution and for his ability to relate to people on the street. U.S. District Court Judge Marvin Shoob, for bringing those same qualities to Georgia's courts.
To Those Getting Started:"Don't become captured by a life that has much money and little satisfaction. Don't try to change the world; focus on your little part of the world."