Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 549: Bevington, Paula Lawton; condolences
Last action March 6, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Paula Lawton Bevington, a longtime Atlanta attorney and civic leader who died on August 4, 2024, and directs a copy be given to her family.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the death of Paula Lawton Bevington. It recounts her life story: her birth in Cleveland, Ohio in 1937, her education at St. Mary's College and Yale Law School, her groundbreaking hire as the first woman associate at the Atlanta law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, her work with the Peace Corps and on a Fulbright scholarship, her career at Servidyne Incorporated and SciTrek, and her leadership roles in civic groups like the Junior League of Atlanta, The Carter Center, and the Rotary Club of Atlanta. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply expresses the House's regret at her passing and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to her family.
What the bill does
- Formally honors the life and memory of Paula Lawton Bevington on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Expresses the House's sincere regret at her passing.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial statement rather than a change to the Georgia Code.
Who it affects
This resolution directly affects the family of Paula Lawton Bevington, who will receive a copy of it, and stands as a formal record from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not impose obligations on the general public, businesses, or other institutions.
Why it matters
While the resolution has no legal or regulatory effect, it provides an official, public tribute recorded in the Georgia House of Representatives to a woman noted for breaking barriers as a female attorney in Atlanta and for decades of civic and community leadership.
Key provisions
- The resolving clause states the House joins in honoring her life and memory and expresses regret at her passing.
- A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to her family.
From the bill
“Paula Lawton Bevington became the first woman associate hired by Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP, in Atlanta during a time when many law firms did not hire women”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Scott Holcomb (D, HD-101)
- Mary Margaret Oliver (D, HD-84)
- Tanya F. Miller (D, HD-62)
- Anne Allen Westbrook (D, HD-163)
- Shea Roberts (D, HD-52)
- Dar'shun Kendrick (D, HD-95)
Topics
- condolence resolution
- Georgia House of Representatives
- Atlanta history
- civic leadership