Pope
graduated with his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. He later received his J.D. from the University of Georgia,
where he graduated cum laude and served as a Notes Editor on the Georgia
Law Review, publishing one article titled "Metro
Broadcasting v. FCC", 25 Ga. L. Rev. 535 (1990). In 1995, he joined
his father at Langdale Vallotton, LLP in Valdosta, Georgia after practicing
three years at a litigation boutique firm in Atlanta, Georgia.
He is actively involved in the State Bar of Georgia, serving on the Board
of Governors since 2004. He is a Board Member and District Representative
of the General Practice and Trial Section, the largest section of the
State Bar dedicated to trial practice, where he has served as the Treasurer/Secretary,
and is currently serving as Chairman of the Section for the 2009-2010
year. He also serves on the Unlicensed Practice of Law District 2 Committee,
where he was appointed by the Supreme Court of Georgia. This committee
is responsible for investigating all reports of unlicensed practice of
law and submitting reports of findings to the staff counsel of the State
Bar of Georgia. The committee is also responsible for making recommendations
regarding proposed litigation arising out of these investigations. Pope
has served on the legislative and membership committees of the Georgia
Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), where he has served as a District Vice-President.
Pope is also a member of the Southern Trial Lawyers' Association (STLA), the American Association of Justice, the American Bar Association, and serves as a Fellow of the Lawyer's Foundation of Georgia, a non-profit arm of the State Bar of Georgia. He serves as special master under the Supreme Court of Georgia in lawyer discipline cases and was appointed by the Lt. Governor to serve on the committee to select the public defender for the Southern Judicial Circuit.
In conjunction with his professional affiliations,
Pope is also actively involved in the community. He is a member of
the Park Avenue United Methodist Church. He served on the Board of
the United Way of Lowndes County, where he served on the executive
committee, served for several years as the Chairman of Allocations,
directing where the funds raised by the organization were spent, and
served as the Campaign Chairman along with his wife, Evelyn. He has
been a member of the executive committee for the local YMCA Board of
Directors, has served as Treasurer, Vice- President, and President
of the Lowndes Education Improvement Foundation, and currently serves
on the Board of Directors of Guardian Bank, and its holding company,
WB & T Bankshares.
Pope is the senior partner of the litigation practice at Langdale Vallotton,
LLP, handling cases and disputes throughout Georgia, as well as the other
southeastern states. Pope primarily practices in the area of civil litigation,
representing injured victims, as well as individuals and businesses involved
in commercial litigation, but also represents teachers throughout South
Georgia, and represents numerous corporations, banks, developers and
other businesses.