With the State Bar of Georgia’s Board of Governors set to vote Saturday on whether to require nearly all of the state’s lawyers to purchase professional liability insurance (PLI) or at least disclose whether they have such coverage, attorneys on both sides of the issue say it could be a crucial decision not only for the legal profession but for the public.

Some influential members of the legal community, including state Court of Appeals judge and former Bar President Ken Hodges—who launched the push for coverage during his term as president—have made it clear they’d like to see most lawyers required to have malpractice coverage or, at minimum, have that information available to the public.