Biography

A lifelong son of Valdosta, Nick M. Bajalia, Sr. has spent more than four decades serving the people of South Georgia and North Florida. His practice focuses on helping individuals and families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives, including serious injuries, wrongful death, medical malpractice, trucking and vehicle collisions, and criminal defense matters. He also assists clients with insurance disputes
and business litigation.

Mr. Bajalia’s love of learning showed itself early. In 1971, while still a student at Valdosta High School, he became the first full-time early admission student at Valdosta State College, and he went on to graduate from high school with honors the following year. During his sophomore year at Valdosta State in 1972, he joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Social Fraternity. In 1973, he transferred to the University of Georgia and enrolled in the Terry School of Business Administration. While in Athens, he founded “Communiversity,” a campus program modeled on Big Brothers, and he served as a Big Brother to a young person in need throughout his time at UGA. He graduated with honors in 1975, earning his Bachelor of Business Administration.

Mr. Bajalia then attended the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University, where he served as Vice President of the Student Bar Association and took part in the school’s mock trial program. During his third year, he was invited to serve as personal law clerk to the Honorable R. Macey Taylor, United States Magistrate for the Northern District of
Alabama. He received his law degree in 1979. His commitment to his craft continued throughout his career, and in 2025 he earned a Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy, with distinction, from Stetson University College of Law.
Mr. Bajalia was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1979 and The Florida Bar in 1981, and he is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. He began his career as an associate with Coleman & Kitchens in Valdosta, and in 1980 he was made a partner in the firm, which became Coleman, Kitchens & Bajalia. He later joined Blackburn, Bright, Edwards & Dodd before opening the doors of Bajalia
Law Firm on May 3, 1982. Along the way, he has served as City Attorney and Municipal Court Judge for the City of Remerton. Since 2017, he has been a certified mediator and arbitrator, helping parties find common ground outside the courtroom. He also shares his experience with the next generation as an adjunct professor at Valdosta State University.

Service to his profession and community has always been close to Mr. Bajalia’s heart. He has held several leadership roles with the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, volunteers as a mentor through the State Bar of Georgia, and has twice chaired the People’s Law School, a program that helps members of the public better understand the legal system. He has coached high school mock trial teams at Valdosta High School and Valwood School. Currently, he serves on the boards of the South Georgia
Partnership to End Homelessness and Prestige Preparatory School. His dedication to his clients has been recognized through honors such as the Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Platinum award and the AVVO Clients’ Choice Award.

Outside the office, Mr. Bajalia is a member of the Episcopal Church. He and his wife, the former Monique Andrews, are the proud parents of six children and grandparents to several grandchildren.

Education

• Stetson College of Law, Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy (Awarded with Distinction)
• Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
• University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
• Valdosta State University 1971-1973

Published Works

• “Diversity in the Family Law Field”, University of Georgia School of Law, Family Law Society Spring Career Panel, February 7, 2017.
• “Civil Rights in Today’s Society”, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Cook County, Georgia, February 20, 2010.
• Chairperson, People’s Law School, sponsored by the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, Valdosta, Georgia, April 23-June 25, 2005.
• “Family Law: Divorce, Alimony, Custody & Adoption Issues”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, June 11, 2005.
• “Automobile Accidents & Insurance”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, May 21, 2005.
• “The Criminal Process”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, April 30, 2005.
• “How the Foundational Structure of Our Laws Have Shifted In a Manner To Hinder and Unintentionally Set Back the Civil Rights Movement and the Ideal of Equality Among All People”, presented at Annual Christmas Banquet of Greater Pleasant Temple Baptist Church, Valdosta, Georgia, December 16, 1995.
• Chairperson, People’s Law School, sponsored by the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, Valdosta, Georgia, May 13-July 15, 1995.
• “Professional Negligence – Doctors, Lawyers and Beyond”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, June 24, 1995.
• “Automobile Accidents”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, June 17, 1995.
• “How to Choose a Lawyer”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, May 13, 1995.
• “How a Lawsuit Works”, Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, presented at the People’s Law School, Valdosta, Georgia, May 13, 1995.
• “Ethical Considerations in Gathering Factual Information and Preserving the Evidence”, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, presented at the Meeting of the Minds-Making the Most of Settlements Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia, December 9, 1994.
• Seminar Co-Chairman, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Fall Workshop, Secrets of Our Success Seminar, St. Simons Island, Georgia, October 21-22, 1994.
• Brief Bank Index, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Published May, 1994.
• “Justice Through Power,” THE VERDICT, Vol. 17, No. 4, July/August, 1992.

Professional Associations

• National Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1981 to Present
• Georgia Assoc. of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1981 to Present
• American Association for Justice, 2017 to Present Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 1991 to Present
• Southern Trial Lawyers Association, 2018 to Present
• State Bar of Georgia-General Practice & Trial Section State Bar of Georgia – Torts & Insurance Practice Section
• State Bar of Georgia – Criminal Law Section
• State Bar of Georgia – Legal Economics Section
• State Bar of Georgia – Dispute Resolution Section
• Valdosta Bar Association, 1979 to Present
• Valdosta Bar Association, Past Secretary
• Valdosta Bar Association, Past Chair for Law Week Celebration
• Committee Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, 1995 to Present
• American Bar Association (ABA), 2017 to Present
• American Bar Association (ABA) – Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
• American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2017 to Present
• American Association for Justice (AAJ) -, Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway and Premises Liability Section
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), 1991-1996; 2017-Present
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA) – Motor Vehicle/Product Liability
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA) – Trucking
• The National Trial Lawyers, 2016 to Present
• Best Attorneys of America, 2018 to Present
• American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (AIOPIA) (By invitation only), 2016 to Present
• American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys (By invitation only), 2017 to Present
• Attorney and Practice Magazine, 2018 to Present
• American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys (AAPDA) (Founding Member), 2014 to Present
• American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys (By invitation only), 2017 to Present
• Valdosta Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2004 to Present
• Georgia Legal History Foundation, 2024 (Lifetime Member)

Certified Legal Specialties

• Certified Mediator – General Civil Mediation, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, 2017
• Certified Mediator – Domestic Relations Mediation, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, 2017
• Certified Mediator – Specialized Domestic Violence Mediation, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, 2020
• Certified Arbitrator, Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, 2017