Jamal Bethune

Hailing from Gable, SC, a small community near Florence, Jamal Bethune knew he’d someday become either a professional football player or a personal injury attorney. He played football at Newberry College, but he ultimately decided he’d rather fight in court than on the field.

After earning his J.D. with honors at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, Jamal stayed in town and began working at a personal injury law firm. From the start, he felt drawn to the underdog quality many personal injury cases have. “My clients are normally up against large, intimidating insurance companies with deep pockets,” he said. “I get to be David up against Goliath.” Personal injury law has also proven to be intellectually interesting and challenging for Jamal. Every case presents a new opportunity to establish the burden of proof, head off the insurance company’s legal maneuvers, and get justice for his clients.

It seems inevitable that Jamal would eventually join the Litner + Deganian team, considering he already knew Norm and Melissa, met Steve at a Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA) event, and was introduced to Arman shortly after. He was drawn to the casual office environment and the passionate but laid-back style of Steve and Arman. “Clients here can open up and be themselves without feeling intimidated by a bunch of $1,000 suits,” Jamal said. “We get to focus on personal relationships that other firms just might not have time for.”

When he’s not practicing law, Jamal still trains like an aspiring pro football player. He works out every day and is learning martial arts. His reading list is also filled with some heavy lifting: politics, philosophy, and law. And when he’s truly kicking back, it’s all about football, especially rooting for the New England Patriots and the Florida Gators (sorry Arman).