J. Byrd Garland, Partner
☎ 770-775-3188 MAIN | 770-775-1977 FAX
Practice Areas
Real Estate Closings
Estate Planning and Probate
Civil Litigation
Corporate and Business Law
Church Law
Law School: Mercer University, JD 1973
Undergraduate: University of Georgia, BBA 1970
Byrd is the Senior Partner of Smith, Welch, Webb & White, LLC and Manager of the Jackson office of the firm. He represents many local governmental entities, many local businesses, lenders and others. Byrd makes it a priority to create lasting relationships with his clients, many of whom simply call from time to time for advice. He has practiced in Jackson, Georgia since 1973, joining his long-term friend and fraternity brother, A. J. “Buddy” Welch as a partner in 2001 when Buddy’s firm entered the Jackson market. Byrd heads up the real estate department of the Jackson office and, along with seven paralegals, the office excels in the proper and professional handling of real estate transactions with numerous closings each day.
Additionally, Byrd advises and represents several tax commissioners in Georgia helping with their In Rem Judicial Tax sales. Byrd maintains a steady caseload of probate matters as well as being always available to consult with constituents on a variety of legal matters.
Byrd was a Sigma Nu at the University of Georgia where he graduated with honors in 1970. He was a member of the honor court and Phi Delta Phi at Mercer Law School and graduated with a JD degree in 1973.
Byrd is a 5th generation lawyer with a long line of lawyers on his paternal and maternal sides of the family. In 1969, he married his high school sweetheart, Tyler Watts, who also hails from a legal family. They have four children and five grandchildren. Tyler retired as the lead counsellor of Jackson High School in 2004 and now works for Byrd as a title abstractor (discrete investigator). Byrd and Tyler are proud to call Jackson, GA their home and they are both heavily involved in the community. Both hail from old established families who have called Butts County, Georgia their home for many generations.
Reported Cases
- Efstathiou v. Saunders, 189 Ga. App. 470 (1988)
- Woodruff v. State, 233 Ga, 840 (1975)
- Butts County v. Briscoe, 236 Ga. 233 (1976)
- Cole v. Thrasher, 246 Ga. 683 (1980)
- Beauchamp v. Smith, 250 Ga. 16 (1982)
- Staples v. Cole, 148 Ga, 294 (1981)
- vii.Tri-State Systems. Inc. v. McMickle, 239 Ga. 155 (1977)
- viii.Austin v. Clark, 328 Ga. App. 843 (2014)
Trial Experience
Admissions and Recognitions
- 2001 Recipient of Chief Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service
- Board of Governors (two terms)
- State Bar of Georgia Membership Benefits Committee
- Adjunct professor, Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University
- Supporter: “Justice for All” program by Georgia Legal Services
- Presenter of Ethics and Professionalism seminar to incoming law school freshman at Mercer Law
- 2018 Butts County Hall of Fame award
- 2018 Golden Eagle Award from Boy Scouts of America
- Feature article, Georgia State Bar News, December 1991:”Family Ties: The Legal Version, a Garland Tradition”
Representative Clients
- The City of Jackson, GA
- Butts County Industrial Development Authority
- Butts County Hospital Authority
- Butts County Water & Sewer Authority
- Butts County Tax Commissioner
- Butts County Board of Education
- Georgia District of the Church of The Nazarene
- Numerous local lenders, builders, developers and businesses
Community Involvement
- President of local Chamber of Commerce
- Founding member and Chairman of Partners for Smart Growth
- United Way Chairman
- Chairman Butts County Hospital Authority
- Rotary Club
- Kiwanis Club
- Lions Club
- Columbia Record Club
- Butts County Greenspace Committee
- Jackson United Methodist Church, member, Lay Leader, Chair Staff/Parish relations committee (three 2yr terms), choir, Chairman of the Board
- Trustee, Griffin District, North Georgia Conference of United Methodist Church
- Member of the Jackson Downtown Development Authority
- Fellow of the Georgia Bar Foundation