Attorney General Sam Olens has announced that the Georgia legal community raised the equivalent of 1,181,412 pounds of food ($289,242.50 and 24,442 pounds of food, with each dollar representing four pounds of food) during the 2015 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy. This is the fourth annual food drive in which lawyers and staff compete outside the courtroom for two weeks to raise food and funds for Georgia’s eight regional food banks. The competition took place April 20 – May 1, 2015. Since its inception in 2012, the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy has collectively raised the equivalent of 3,777,852 pounds of food.

A total of 275 law firms and legal organizations representing 18,000 employees competed for the grand prize, the Attorney General’s Cup. Sole proprietor Joe Habachy of Joe S. Habachy, PC in Atlanta won the honor for the second consecutive year -- raising the equivalent of 49,375 pounds of food, the most per capita statewide.

Georgia’s five law schools held their own competition. Georgia State University School of Law defended their title this year. They raised the equivalent of 40.53 pounds per person.

“Congratulations to the Attorney General’s Cup winner Joe Habachy, the law school winner Georgia State University, and all of the 2015 Georgia Legal Frenzy winners,” said Olens. “The food and funds raised through the competition will help Georgia’s food banks meet the increased demand they experience over the summer months when children are out of school. I could not be prouder of Georgia’s legal community for their generosity toward the less fortunate in our state. The true winners of this competition are the children who will receive healthy, balanced meals this summer.”

“Attorney General Olens challenged the legal community to raise more than one million pounds of food during this year's Legal Food Frenzy, and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia (YLD) answered that challenge with leadership and enthusiasm,” said Danah Craft, Georgia Food Bank Association executive director. “On behalf of Georgia Food Bank Association's member food banks, I want to express our gratitude to the YLD, Attorney General Olens and all the firms and law schools that participated. The food and funds raised during this competition will provide the equivalent of 980,000 meals over the summer months.”

The Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a partnership between the Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division and the Georgia Food Bank Association, is specifically timed to coincide with Law Day and the end of the school year to help the food banks prepare for the summer. During the summer months, the demand for food increases because children who depend on free or reduced school lunches are at home. More than 60% of Georgia’s public school students are eligible for either a free or reduced lunch each day.

Georgia’s eight regional food banks serve 156,500 unique clients in Georgia on a weekly basis. All of the food and funds collected during the Legal Food Frenzy have been donated directly to the regional food bank that serves each competitor’s community.

Olens expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the 2015 competition. “I would like to thank State Bar of Georgia president Patrise Perkins-Hooker; YLD president Sharri Edenfield; YLD Legal Food Frenzy Committee chairs Jonathan Poole and Katie Willett; 2015 Legal Food Frenzy co-chairs Katie Dod, Mandy Moyer, Justin Oliverio and Lisa Robinson; Georgia Food Bank Association executive director Danah Craft; and the city representatives throughout the state whose hard work and dedication made this year’s Legal Food Frenzy a success. Last, but not least, I appreciate the generosity of all of the Georgia lawyers and legal staff who contributed to this important effort.”

Winners of the 2015 Legal Food Frenzy

Attorney General’s Cup
Joe S. Habachy, PC
9,375 pounds per person
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Attorney General’s Cup – Law School Division
Georgia State College of Law
40.53 pounds per person
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Sole Proprietor (1-2 employees)
Jenkins & Roberts LLC
17,000 pounds per person
34,000 total pounds
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Small Firm (3-20 employees)
Younker & Oliverio PC
2,592 pounds per person
7,775 total pounds
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Medium Firm (21-100 employees)
Coleman Talley LLP
1,911 pounds per person
103,175 total pounds

Large Firm (101+)
Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial
574 pounds per person
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Greenberg Traurig
123,300 total pounds
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Legal Organization
State of Georgia – Augusta Superior Judicial Circuit
7,643 pounds per person
Golden Harvest Food Bank

Georgia Institute of Technology Office of Legal Affairs
31,750 total pounds
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Corporate Legal Organization
Intercontinental Hotels Group Legal Affairs
93.76 pounds per person
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Georgia Power/Southern Company Legal Affairs
15,924 total pounds
Atlanta Community Food Bank

Bar Association (new award)
Rockdale County Bar Association
98.56 pounds per person
Atlanta Community Food Bank

The Savannah Bar Association
15,763 total pounds\
America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia