Valdosta State University Attorney Laverne Lewis Gaskins has been elected as chair of the State Bar of Georgia Investigative Panel, which, as part of the State Disciplinary Board, investigates alleged violations of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct by those authorized to practice law in Georgia.

“It is my pleasure to serve the citizens of Georgia and the State Bar in this capacity,” said Gaskins.

The Investigative Panel consists of the presidents-elect of the State Bar of Georgia and its Young Lawyers Division, along with other members of the Bar and the public from across the state, who are appointed by the president of the state bar and the justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia. The panel’s findings may result in disciplinary action against bar members who violate the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Gaskins also serves on the Board of Governors, the 160-member policymaking authority of the state bar, which includes representation from each of Georgia’s judicial circuits. The board holds regular meetings at least four times per year.

Before her career in education law, Gaskins was engaged in private practice and is a former Georgia special assistant attorney general. Currently, she serves on the editorial board of The Journal of College and University Law and is editor-in-chief of the National Bar Association Magazine. She is also a Fulbright Grant recipient (Hungary and Canada) and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Campus Legal Advisor. 

Gaskins earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and her Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling from Valdosta State University and her juris doctor degree from Florida State University Law School. She was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1993.