Who Is William D. NeSmith III, Deputy General Counsel, State Bar of Georgia?

Who He Is:

William D. NeSmith III is a Deputy General Counsel in the State Bar of Georgia Office of the General Counsel, as the Bar’s staff directory lists him.

The State Bar of Georgia’s own speaker page for William Dallas NeSmith III says he has been “Deputy General Counsel for the State Bar of Georgia since 2014.” It also says:

• He “Served on the Investigative Panel for the State Disciplinary Board for the State Bar of Georgia” for seven years, and “Served as Chair.”
• “Bill regularly teaches continuing legal education courses in ethics and professionalism for the State Bar of Georgia and continuing education courses for the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education.”
• He was “formerly a county attorney in two counties, city attorney in three cities,” and “formerly a municipal court judge in eight cities and is currently the judge in Ideal Georgia.”
• He is “Parliamentarian for the State Bar of Georgia” and a graduate of the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.

Source: State Bar ICLE speaker page, viewed October 17, 2026.

Official page: State Bar of Georgia page listing William D. NeSmith III.

Why He is On ADAMATTERS.COM:

• He teaches ethics, then does what he teaches against. The State Bar says William D. NeSmith III “regularly teaches continuing legal education courses in ethics and professionalism,” chaired the panel that investigates lawyers, and sits as a municipal court judge. The State Bar’s own board book says that on March 13, 2026, two months earlier, he “gave a presentation on Ethics” at a State Bar seminar (State Bar 2026 board book). On May 12, 2026 he told a disabled man he did not appear to need help, and the next day took back the meeting he had offered.
• He told a disabled man he did not need help. On May 12, 2026, at 2:12 PM, he wrote: “Based upon your communications, it does not appear that you require assistance in preparing written submissions or otherwise accessing the grievance or reconsideration process.” Read his email
• He cut everyone else off the email. That answer went to me alone, with every institutional recipient removed from the copy list.
• He said the ADA request was about winning. The same email said my ADA request “may be directed less toward obtaining accommodation or access assistance and more toward securing a particular substantive outcome regarding the underlying grievance matter.”
• Double talk. He wrote that the State Bar “is not a public entity.” The Bar’s own lawyers were telling a federal court that the State controls the Bar. Read how his email became a federal exhibit
• The rug pull. At 6:37 PM on May 12 he wrote, “I am available at 11.30 only.” At 7:34 AM the next morning: “The 11:30 time was meant for a colleague of mine and was sent to you in error.” Read the offer
• A broken promise on deadline day. On May 13 he wrote, “I will do my best to provide my response tomorrow.” Tomorrow was May 14, the last day of my cure window. Nothing came. Read his promise
• The silent treatment. He has not written to me in 155 days. His mailbox opened 7 of my requests. He answered none.
• A rubber stamp. I filed a grievance against William D. NeSmith III on May 15, 2026. The Bar closed it on June 30, 2026, in three sentences, with no investigation. Read the dismissal

As of October 17, 2026. Counted from my mailbox.

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