CAPSTONE LAWYER

THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SCHOOL OF LAW ALUMNI MAGAZINE
2025 EDITION

CAPSTONE LAWYER

The University of Alabama School of Law Alumni Magazine
2025 Edition

Dean: William S. Brewbaker III
Assistant Dean for Advancement: Candice Robbins
Communications Director: Josh Bird
Communications Specialist II & Graphic Designer:
Savannah Kelly
Contributing Writers: Jeff Baker, Josh Bird, Savannah Kelly
& Kaci Lollar
Photographers: Miriam Naomi Brant, Lynn Cummings,
Savannah Kelly & Anthony Pynes

On the Cover

Seeds of Service, a mixed-media illustration by Sonya Clemons, was selected as the winning piece in Alabama Law's art competition for the 25th anniversary of the Public Interest Institute. Inspired by the anniversary theme, “Cultivating a Lifelong Commitment to Service,” the piece highlights the legal community's vital role in fostering a just and thriving society. An education at Alabama Law equips students with the skills and dedication to become servant leaders, empowering them to make a meaningful impact in their communities—regardless of their chosen career path.

About the Artist

Recognized across her home state of Alabama as “The Artlady,” Sonya Clemons earned her moniker by painting murals throughout North Alabama, transforming blank walls into beautiful pieces that tell the stories of individual communities and their identities. Most recently, she was commissioned to create a piece for the 92nd Anniversary Commemoration of the Scottsboro Boys, now on display at the Scottsboro Boys Museum.

Sonya is also the founder of Pictures of Hope, a program in Jackson County that offers art classes to adults and children involved in the Jackson County Drug Court and Family Wellness Court. Through this program, participants gain a positive outlet for self-expression, stress relief, and confidence building, using creativity as a tool for personal growth and healing.

No matter what surface she's painting on—walls, city sidewalks, a simple canvas—“The Artlady” creates images focused on Southern culture that are full of color and life.

© 2025 The University of Alabama School of Law. All Rights Reserved.

The University of Alabama School of Law is an equal-opportunity educational institution/employer.

"Seeds of Service" by Sonya Clemons. The artwork depicts an open book with four leaves growing out of the top. One says "service," one says "law," one says "justice," and one says "dedication." There is a man with a watering can watering the leaves. There are four people below the book facing away from the viewer: one young woman holding a book, one blonde woman in a suit holding a briefcase, an older man in a suit, and a man in judge's robes. The shadow being cast by the book is in the shape of a gavel and appears on the right side of the piece.

From the
Dean's Desk

Portrait of Bill Brewbaker, Dean and Professor of Law

Thank you for your ongoing support of our extraordinary community at Alabama Law. It has been a remarkable year for our Law School as we continue to recruit and retain exceptional faculty, attract some of the brightest students in our history, and prepare graduates who are ready to lead across Alabama and throughout the nation.

This year, we welcomed six new faculty members with expertise spanning corporate finance, patent and drug law, and federal Indian law. We also appointed our first-ever Associate Dean of Experiential Learning, Jeff Baker, who now oversees our law school clinics and is strengthening connections across our professional development programs. These include externships, internships, public interest, moot court, and trial advocacy, along with our seven clinics—each continuing to deliver exceptional, hands-on learning opportunities for our students.

In the past year alone, 12 of our Appellate Advocacy Clinic students presented oral arguments in six different cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, while our Civil Law Clinic students successfully defended a $250,000 claim in a three-day jury trial. These experiences exemplify the real-world preparation that defines an Alabama Law education.

Everywhere we look, Alabama Law students, alumni, faculty, and staff are making a difference in communities across our state and nation. Lawyers Render Service. This phrase—coined by civil rights leader Fred Gray and adopted as the Alabama State Bar's motto—remains a guiding principle for our profession. In April, the Bar unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Mr. Gray outside its building in Montgomery, honoring his courageous work to advance justice and equality. His life stands as a powerful example of the ideals that continue to unite our Alabama Law community.

This year also marked the 25th anniversary of the Public Interest Institute—founded by Professor Pam Pierson and a small group of students who sought to expand our impact across Alabama and beyond. Their legacy endures in the countless alumni who continue to serve others through their work in law, public service, and leadership.

I am deeply grateful for the many ways each of you contributes to the strength of our Alabama Law community—by mentoring students, supporting events, and investing in our shared future. You are the difference makers behind the success of our state and nation's future leaders, and the reason Alabama Law continues to stand among the top public law schools.

Respectfully,
Bill Brewbaker
Dean & Professor of Law

Briefcase

News & events from around the Law School

*Professor Russell Gold places a hood on Malcolm Lowe during commencement.*

*Professor Russell Gold places a hood on Malcolm Lowe during commencement.*

Celebrating the Class of 2025

On Sunday, May 4, The University of Alabama School of Law honored 162 graduates during its annual commencement ceremony at Coleman Coliseum.

*Alabama Law Class of 2028*

*Alabama Law Class of 2028*

Welcoming the Class of 2028

This fall, Alabama Law welcomed the Class of 2028 into the Law School community.

*Fred Gray addresses graduates during the commencement ceremony in 2022.*

*Fred Gray addresses graduates during the commencement ceremony in 2022.*

Faculty to Serve as Fred Gray Institute Fellows

At its inaugural symposium in March, the Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights appointed Associate Dean Jeff Baker and Professor Bryan Fair to its second cohort of Gray Institute Fellows.

Measuring Up

Among public law schools

#1

Salary-to-Debt Ratio

#3 overall

U.S. News & World Report (2025)

#3

For Federal Clerkship Placements

#8 overall

The Princeton Review (2025)

#5

Best Value

#6 overall

The National Jurist (2025)

#8

Law School

#25 overall

Above the Law (2025)

New Faculty at Alabama Law

S. Sean Tu

Professor of Law

Sean Tu is a nationally recognized expert on patent law and drug law. A prolific scholar with over 50 publications, his work has appeared in top medical and law journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Nature Biotechnology, and Stanford Technology Law Review. He has also co-authored several amicus briefs—one of which was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court—and casebooks on biotechnology law and intellectual property law.

Professor Tu is affiliated with both Harvard Medical School's Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law (PORTAL) and Georgetown University Law Center's O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School. Prior to his tenure as Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development at West Virginia University College of Law, Professor Tu was an associate at Foley & Lardner LLP, where he prosecuted pharmaceutical patents.

Professor Tu holds degrees in chemistry and microbiology from the University of Florida, his JD from the University of Chicago Law School, and his doctorate in pharmacology from Cornell University. He has also worked as an expert witness in patent law cases and helped establish companies focused on patent prosecution analytics and cancer cell biology.

Tomer S. Stein

Associate Professor of Law

Tomer Stein focuses his teaching and scholarship on corporate law and governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, and corporate finance. Prior to joining the faculty at Alabama Law, Professor Stein was an assistant professor and Wilkinson Research Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law and a research fellow in the Neel Corporate Governance Center at the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business. His publications have appeared in leading law journals such as Columbia Law Review, Washington University Law Review, and Georgia Law Review, among others.

Professor Stein previously practiced corporate law at the New York office of Latham & Watkins, where he focused on capital markets, general securities, and corporate governance. He has served as a legal consultant and expert witness in contract, corporate, and other business law matters, including to the capital markets arm of the Royal Bank of Canada. He is also a member of the executive committee of the Business Associations Section of AALS, and he previously served as a foreign law clerk to Justice Isaac Amit of the Supreme Court of Israel.

Professor Stein earned his BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his JD from the University of Texas School of Law, and is a member of the bar in the State of New York.

Grant T. Christensen

Associate Professor of Law

Grant Christensen is a nationally recognized expert in federal Indian law whose research explores the intersection between federal Indian law and civil procedure, federal courts, and conflict of laws. He has served as a tribal appellate judge for the Standing Rock Sioux and Fort Peck and Assiniboine Sioux Tribes, co-chaired the ABA Business Law Section's Tribal Litigation Subcommittee, and is a peer reviewer for American Indian Law Review.

Professor Christensen has co-authored two textbooks on federal Indian law and recently published articles in Columbia Law Review, California Law Review, and University of Chicago Law Review, among others. His scholarship is frequently cited by courts and practitioners and included in major Indian Law treatises.

Prior to joining the faculty at Alabama Law, Professor Christensen taught at Stetson University College of Law, the University of North Dakota School of Law, and the University of Oregon School of Law. In 2011, Professor Christensen received a Fulbright scholarship to research for a year in Vilnius, Lithuania, and continues to be a Foreign Scholar Partner at Vilnius University Faculty of Law. Professor Christensen earned his BA from the University of Richmond, JD from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and LLM in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. He is a member of the bar in Minnesota.

Jennifer Mart-Rice

Associate Dean of Legal Information Services and Associate Professor of Law in Residence

Jennifer Mart-Rice serves as Associate Dean of Legal Information Services and Associate Professor of Law in Residence. She is responsible for directing and leading the Bounds Law Library, teaching advanced legal research courses, and coordinating with the legal writing faculty to teach legal research to first-year law students. She speaks and writes regularly on leadership and organization, legal research pedagogy, library collections, and the intersection of law and technology.

Prior to joining Alabama Law, Dean Mart-Rice was the Associate Director at the University of Iowa Law Library, the Head of Collection Services at Washington & Lee University School of Law, and an assistant director and assistant professor at Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law. She earned BA degrees from Indiana University-Bloomington, MS in Library Science from the University of Kentucky, and JD from Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law. She previously practiced law in Indiana.

Jeffrey R. Baker

Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and Clinical Professor of Law

Jeff Baker is the Law School's first Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and a Clinical Professor of Law. He directs the Law School's seven clinics and helps lead other programs of experiential education across the curriculum. His scholarship focuses on issues of human rights and dignity, social justice, legal education, and ethics at the intersections of law, theology, jurisprudence, and public policy. Dean Baker most recently served as the Associate Dean of Clinical Education and Global Programs at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law and previously directed the clinical programs at Faulkner University Jones School of Law. Following his graduation from Vanderbilt University Law School, he returned to his home state of Mississippi, where he had a diverse trial and appellate practice in complex litigation.

Outside of teaching, Dean Baker is an editor for the Clinical Law Prof Blog and is involved with the Clinical Legal Education Association and the AALS Clinical Legal Education Section. He has served as director and counsel for several nonprofits devoted to human rights, social justice, and community development and is active in church service and leadership. This past year, he was named a Fellow of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Civil and Human Rights. Dean Baker is a member of the bar in Alabama, Mississippi, and California.

Anne Miles Golson

Assistant Professor of Legal Writing

Anne Miles Golson is the newest member of the Law School's legal writing faculty. Prior to joining Alabama Law, Professor Golson practiced healthcare law and appellate litigation for a national, full-service law firm in Birmingham, Alabama. She has argued cases before various judicial and administrative bodies, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Provider Reimbursement Review Board, and Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals. She also maintained an active pro bono practice, representing several incarcerated individuals in both state and federal post-conviction appeals. Before entering private practice, Professor Golson clerked for Hon. Andrew L. Brasher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Professor Golson graduated summa cum laude from Alabama Law in 2020, where she was a member of the national championship-winning New York City Bar National Moot Court Competition Team and was named overall best advocate at the competition. She also served as a junior editor for Alabama Law Review and was inducted into Order of the Barristers, Order of the Coif, and Bench & Bar Legal Honor Society.

Board of Governors & Leadership Council

Outdoor photo of The University of Alabama School of Law building

Law School Foundation Board of Governors

President: Laura L. Crum
Vice President: Jerry F. Perkins Jr.
Secretary: Richard J.R. Raleigh Jr.
Treasurer: Fournier J. "Boots" Gale III

Governors

J. Alan Bannister
Travis M. Bedsole Jr.
Hon. Sonja Bivins
M. Stan Blanton
Andrew P. Campbell
Mark Crosswhite
J. Leigh Davis
L. Susan Doss
Hon. John England III
Frederick G. Helmsing Jr.
J. Bradford Hicks
Paula Hinton
W. Michael House
Elizabeth H. Huntley
Jini Koh
Curtis O. Liles III
Kimberly B. Martin
James M. Pool
Jerry W. Powell
Julia Smeds Roth
Kimberly K. Rucker
John D. Saxon
Alfred F. "Buddy" Smith Jr.
John A. Smyth III
J. Michael Taylor
M. Chad Tindol
Michael D. Waters

Emeritus

Hon. W. Harold Albritton III
Hon. Milton E. Belcher
William N. Clark
John D. Clements
N. Lee Cooper
Samuel N. Crosby
Gregory S. Cusimano
W. Anthony Davis III
Richard T. Dorman
Thomas R. Elliott Jr.
Judy Whalen Evans
Dean Charles W. Gamble
Gene Hamby Jr.
Ben H. Harris Jr.
William P. Jackson Jr.
Frank S. James III
D. Paul Jones Jr.
Stephen D. Kane
Byrd R. Latham
S. Jack Livingston
M. Dale Marsh
James H. Miller III
Larry W. Morris
Sydney S. Smith
Lowell Womack

Ex Officio

Dean William S. Brewbaker III
Robert C. "Mike" Brock
Myla E. Calhoun
W. Davis Malone III
Evelyn VanSant Mauldin
Scott M. Phelps
Edward S. Reisinger
Ken O. Simon
Sid Trant

Alabama Law Alumni Society Leadership Council

Chair: Jenna M. Bedsole
Vice Chair: Brannon J. Buck

Council

Capt. Steven Arango
Hampton Baxley
Stanley Blackmon
Richard Brock
Ellen I. Brooks
Mary Margaret Carroll
Caroline Cease
Rochelle Conley
J. Sydney Cook III
Atticus DeProspo
Derin B. Dickerson
Christopher Driver
Prim F. Escalona
Sharonda Fancher
Christian A. Fuller
J. Kirkman Garrett
Vincent J. Graffeo
Mac B. Greaves
H. Thomas Heflin Jr.
Ann P. Hill
Perry G. Jackson
Justin Jones
David F. Lasseter
Deborah J. Long
Jay Malone
Marcus M. Maples
Appie Owens Millsaps
A. Clark Morris
W. Steven Nichols
Frances K. Quick
James H. Richardson
Yvonne A.H. Saxon
Bruce B. Siegal
Brad J. Sklar
Dakota Slaughter
John Q. Somerville
H. Harold Stephens
O. Kevin Vincent
Hon. Zachary Walden
India Williams

Emeritus

Hon. Joe Basenberg
Mark S. Boardman
J.R. Brooks Jr.
Charles F. Carr
Frank J. Daily
J. Mason Davis Jr.
Clausen Ely Jr.
Henry I. Frohsin
Charles Goodrich
Ruth Ann Hall
Christopher B. Harmon
Hon. R. Bernard Harwood Jr.
Richard S. Jaffe
J. Douglas McElvy
Mac M. Moorer
C. Delaine Mountain Sr.
Leroy D. Nix
John A. Owens
Anita Perkins Roberson
Nicholas B. Roth
John W. Smith T
Stephen W. Still Sr.
Michael S. Stutts
Anne Stone Sumblin
Hon. J. Edward Tease
James C. Walsh

2025 Alabama Law Alumni Awards

Two framed medals and a glass award on a table with a red satin tablecloth.

Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumnus Award

The Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest honor presented by the Law School Foundation to an outstanding graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law who has distinguished themselves through service to the Bar, The University of Alabama, and the School of Law. The award is named for the late Samuel Wesley Pipes ('38), who was a partner in the Mobile law firm of Lyons, Pipes & Cook until his death in 1982. Pipes was a director of the Law School Foundation from 1965-80, and served as president from 1966-68. He also chaired the statewide fundraising campaign, which, in 1965, laid the groundwork for the formation of the Alabama Law Alumni Society. The Law School is pleased to present Jerry W. Powell ('75) with the 2025 Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Jerry W. Powell

Class of 1975

Jerry W. Powell began his academic career at Birmingham-Southern College, graduating with his BA in 1972, before enrolling at The University of Alabama School of Law, where he earned his JD in 1975. During law school, Powell was a member of Order of the Coif, Bench & Bar Honor Society, the editorial board of Alabama Law Review, and was a Hugo L. Black scholar.

Powell has had a prolific career in the banking and finance sector. He served for 30 years as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of BBVA Compass Bancshares and Compass Bank before moving to Cadence Bancorporation and Cadence Bank, again as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, where he provided strategic legal counsel and guidance to the executive team and board of directors and was responsible for overseeing all legal matters and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. During his tenure, he successfully led various legal initiatives, most notably providing guidance and leadership in taking the company public in 2017.

Powell has been actively engaged with his community and the legal profession throughout his career. He is a member of the American, Alabama, and Birmingham Bar Associations, and has on various committees of the state and local bars. He has served on the board of many organizations in the state and for the University, and has generously contributed to technological upgrades throughout the Law School over the years through the Jerry Powell Technology Fund and supported faculty and the business law curriculum through the Jerry and Carolyn Powell Professor of Practice for Law and Business.

View and download photos from the Birmingham award reception

Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor

The Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor was established in 2020 by the Law School Foundation Board of Governors to recognize the outstanding achievements of Alabama Law alumni and faculty. The Law School is proud to induct four members of its community into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor: Professor Emerita Pamela Bucy Pierson, Senator Jefferson B. Sessions III ('73), Chief Justice C.C. “Bo” Torbert Jr. ('54), and H. Thomas “Tommy” Wells ('75).

Portrait of Professor Pamela Bucy Pierson

Professor Emerita Pamela Bucy Pierson

Professor Pamela Bucy Pierson has authored 10 books and over 70 academic articles. A proven expert in criminal law and healthcare law, she has been regularly quoted by the national press and was recognized in The New York Times' “Women Lead the Way in White Collar Crime” list. She has offered expert testimony before Congress on three occasions on matters related to healthcare fraud and corporate criminal liability.

Professor Pierson has been recognized for her dedication to students, teaching, and serving her community. She has received both the University of Alabama's Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award (2000) and the Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award (2005). At the Law School, she was named Outstanding Faculty Member by the Student Bar Association seven times, received the Dean Thomas W. Christopher Award four times, and was chosen by the graduating class to participate on the hooding team at commencement 21 times. She was also inducted into the Public Interest Institute's Order of the Samaritan and has been honored by the Alabama State Bar with awards for outstanding leadership and service and multiple awards from the Volunteer Lawyers Program.

Professor Pierson graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, where she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998. She earned her JD from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, where she was a member of Order of the Coif and was recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumni in 2003. Prior to entering academia, Professor Pierson clerked for Hon. Theodore McMillian of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri's Criminal Division.

View and download photos from the Birmingham awards reception

Senator Jefferson B. Sessions III

Class of 1973

Senator Jefferson B. Sessions III has dedicated more than four decades to public service, law, and leadership in Alabama and across the nation. Sessions earned his undergraduate degree from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, and his JD from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1973. Upon graduation from law school, Sessions served in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1977, attaining the rank of captain. He began his legal career as an attorney in private practice in Russellville, Alabama, before becoming an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him U.S. Attorney for the same district, where he served for 12 years. During his time in that role, he was recognized for his commitment to upholding the rule of law and strengthening the integrity of Alabama's judicial system.

In 1994, Sessions was elected Attorney General of Alabama, and, two years later, was elected to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate. He was reelected three times, the last without opposition. Among other committees and assignments, he served for 20 years on the Senate Judiciary and Armed Services Committees, where he was a consistent advocate for the rule of law and a strong national defense. In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated, and the Senate confirmed him, as the 84th Attorney General of the United States—the first Alabamian to hold that position in nearly 170 years—where he served until November 2018.

Senator Sessions and his wife, Mary, have three children and 10 grandchildren. They are members of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Mobile.

View and download photos from the Mobile awards reception

Photo courtesy of the Alabama Supreme Court and State Law Library

Chief Justice C.C. “Bo” Torbert Jr.

Class of 1973

Chief Justice Clement Clay “Bo” Torbert Jr., a proud Opelika, Alabama, native, attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated from Auburn University in 1951. He served in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of captain. Following his graduation from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1954, where he served on Alabama Law Review, Justice Torbert returned to Opelika to begin the practice of law.

In 1958, Justice Torbert was elected to represent Lee County in the Alabama State Legislature, then was elected to the Alabama State Senate in 1966, where he served two terms. As a senator, Justice Torbert proposed several legislative initiatives that would set the stage for reforms to Alabama's courts and legal system.

In 1976, Torbert was elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, where he served for two terms. He followed Chief Justice Howell Heflin ('48), who helped create Alabama's unified judicial system. As Chief Justice, Torbert was responsible for securing funding and implementing the new system—which became a model that other states looked to as they reformed their own judicial systems. In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments and service to the state, Justice Torbert was elected to the Alabama Academy of Honor in 1979.

After leaving the court, Justice Torbert held the Leslie S. Wright Chair of Law at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and the John J. Sparkman Chair of Law at The University of Alabama School of Law before joining Maynard, Cooper & Gale (now Maynard Nexsen), where he practiced until his retirement.

Justice Torbert's impactful career is still felt throughout the State of Alabama. The Brewer-Torbert Public Service Award, named in his honor, is presented by the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, and the Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building in Montgomery was named in honor of both Chief Justice Torbert and Chief Justice Heflin for their work on reforming Alabama's judicial system.

View and download photos from the Opelika awards reception

H. Thomas "Tommy" Wells Jr.

Class of 1975

Tommy Wells Jr. dedicated his life to mentorship, philanthropy, leadership, and uplifting those around him. A native of Gadsden, Alabama, Wells graduated from The University of Alabama in 1972 as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society, then earned his JD from the Law School in 1975 as a member of Order of the Coif, Alabama Law Review, and the Farrah Order of Jurisprudence. He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Suffolk University in 2008. Upon graduation from law school, he proudly served his country as an airman in the U.S. Air Force, working as legal counsel in the Pentagon. He later became a founding partner of Maynard, Cooper & Gale (now Maynard Nexsen). His storied career as a litigator and environmental lawyer was consistently recognized in legal accolades such as Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America.

Throughout his career, Wells dedicated himself to what he called “common core values that unite” the legal profession: access to justice, independence of the bar and judiciary, diversity, and the rule of law. His service was honored by Legal Services Alabama, which created the Tommy Wells Justice Award to recognize outstanding service in promoting access to justice and legal services.

Wells was a member of the American, Alabama, and Birmingham Bar Associations. He served as president of the American Bar Association from 2008-09, and held several leadership roles prior to his tenure as president. He was also initiated as a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Litigation Counsel of America, the American College of Environmental Lawyers, and the American Bar Association, and was a member of the American Law Institute, Diversity Law Institute, and Trial Law Institute.

A community leader, Wells served on the board of directors for the YMCA of Greater Birmingham, Scholarships for Kids, and the American Judicature Society. He was also a member of the University of Alabama President's Council, the Alabama Law Alumni Society Leadership Council, and the Board of Governors for Shoal Creek.

View and download photos from the Birmingham award reception

Alabama Rising Young Attorney

Established in 2020, the Alabama Rising Young Attorney Award recognizes a recent graduate who has made outstanding contributions to the legal profession, their community, and the School of Law. The Law School is proud to present Judge Zachary R. Walden ('16) with the 2025 Alabama Rising Young Attorney Award.

Judge Zachary R. Walden

Class of 2016

Judge Zachary R. Walden serves Tennessee's Eighth Judicial District, presiding over Criminal Court, Recovery Court, and Veterans Treatment Court. He was the youngest trial court judge in the United States at the time of his election in 2022. Judge Walden is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law and East Tennessee State University. Following graduation from law school, he practiced with Eldridge & Blakney, P.C., in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Judge Walden is a past president of the Knoxville Barristers and previously chaired the Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition. He currently serves as East Tennessee Governor for the Tennessee Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division and is a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court's Technology Oversight Committee, where he works to promote innovation and technology access in the state judiciary. Judge Walden has received the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division President's Award and Public Service Award, as well as the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers President's Award in recognition of his commitment to public service programs.

Judge Walden is frequently asked to present at CLE seminars and recently spoke at Cornell Law School's New York State Access to Justice Conference, where he addressed the unique challenges of rural legal deserts. He is also a 2024 recipient of the American Bar Association's On the Rise Award, which recognizes 40 young lawyers from across the U.S. who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and service to the legal profession and their communities.

View and download photos from the Knoxville award reception

Beyond "Thinking Like a Lawyer"

Preparing Students for Practice with Excellence & Integrity through Experiential Learning

Story by Josh Bird with Jeffrey R. Baker, Savannah Kelly & Kaci Lollar

A man in a button down shirt with a red tie leans over the computer of a male student, pointing at the screen, with a female student looking on.

Professor Tobie Smith, Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic, helps Ben Johnson (‘26) and Ashley Sauer (‘26) with their case in the clinic workroom.

In 2024, Bloomberg conducted a survey of 2,700 attorneys, law students, and law professors to measure how well law schools prepare students for their careers in the legal profession. As part of that study, supervising attorneys ranked the skills of their junior associates. While they stated that most junior colleagues were strong in digital literacy (87%), legal research (86.9%), and to an extent, legal writing (67.8%), their responses were not as generous regarding the professional and strategic competencies of their junior counterparts. Specifically, supervising attorneys evaluated these early-career associates as being “weak or very weak” in business development (82.8%), client relationships (57.9%), decision making (48.2%), and time management (48%).

These apparent professional skills gaps have long been a source of complaints about legal education. Critics have argued that law school is too heavy on theory and too light on practical training and that students' experiences are poorly aligned with the needs of the job market.

Where Legends Are Made

While Alabama Law is proud of its reputation as one of the finest academic institutions in the nation, it has long prioritized opportunities that help prepare students to be practice-ready attorneys. Just this past year, students in the Appellate Advocacy Clinic argued four different cases before U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Civil Law Clinic students successfully defended a $250,000 claim in a jury trial. The Alabama Law team won the Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition, and hundreds of students participated in externships, internships, practice-based fellowships, mock trial, and moot court competitions. Through these experiences, Alabama Law students are becoming better-prepared to build client relationships, make informed decisions, manage their time effectively, and proactively identify and address potential issues before they become crises.

And while these current preparations have been well-received by employers—reflected by a 94.2% full-time bar passage required/JD-advantage employment rate—Alabama Law is investing increased resources to ensure students are more prepared to practice than ever before. This year, the Law School recruited Jeff Baker to lead its experiential learning and clinical programs. As Alabama Law's first Associate Dean of Experiential Learning, Baker will play a pivotal role in integrating opportunities across the spectrum of the Law School's professional development programs—including externship, internship, moot court, trial advocacy, and public interest programs—while also leading and expanding the Law School's clinics. Most recently, Baker led the clinical programs at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, and he is highly regarded nationally in the field of clinical legal education.

“When I first joined Pepperdine, we only had four clinics,” said Baker. “During my tenure, we expanded our offerings to include 10 clinics across various practice areas, and we built a very robust externship program that currently serves 90-95% of students.”

Baker joins Alabama Law with a vision aligned with the needs of a current legal market that is looking for junior associates, judicial law clerks, and staff attorneys who are ready to contribute from day one.

“My goal is to maximize and expand our current experience-based offerings to ensure that professional development is centralized within everything our students do,” said Baker. “I often tell students you wouldn't want to go to a doctor who has never seen a patient. And elementary teachers cannot run a classroom without student teaching first. That expectation follows in the legal field. We aren't aiming for our students to simply get jobs; we are preparing them to thrive in their careers with excellence, integrity, courage, and competence. We don't want to graduate students who only think like lawyers but who are ready to actually be lawyers.”

Legal Clinics

Alabama Law currently offers seven legal clinics: Appellate Advocacy Clinic, Children's Rights Clinic, Civil Law Clinic, Criminal Defense Clinic, Domestic Violence Clinic, Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic, and Mediation Clinic. Baker expects to lead an additional clinic in the coming year. The Law School guarantees every student a seat in a clinic, and each clinic serves scores of clients each year. They are a vital part of the curriculum preparing professionals for practice, and they are a critical resource for access to justice for many Alabamians.

Guided by expert faculty, our clinics offer specialized training in distinct practice areas, all designed to build versatile skills that prepare students for any legal career. In the clinics, students synthesize their doctrinal knowledge and technical skills in the service of clients in great need, with all the attendant ethical, emotional, intellectual, and moral pressures that come with real law practice. The following stories are just a sample of the outstanding work our clinic students are doing.

Appellate Advocacy Clinic Students Make Their Case(s) Before the Eleventh Circuit

12 Appellate Advocacy Clinic students were tapped to represent clients in cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Montgomery, Birmingham, and Atlanta. Camdyn Neal and Cooper Moran, Alli Swann and Dalton Counts, Christopher Alhorn and Sanderson Wall, and Tyger Quarles and Carson Freund (all Class of 2025) argued their cases last spring, and the teams of Marie Doyle Passman and Noah Harrelson and Abby Vandiver and Sarah Frances Jackson (all Class of 2026) presented their cases this fall. The cases span a variety of complex issues, including First Amendment and immunity claims, issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and ineffective assistance of counsel claims.

“Many young attorneys wait years for an opportunity to argue an appellate case,” said Professor Travis Ramey, director of the Appellate Advocacy Clinic. “The chance to argue a case during law school gives alumni of the Clinic a substantial advantage over their peers as they begin their careers.”

Civil Law Clinic Students Defeat $250,000 Claim in Three-Day Jury Trial

Four students in the Civil Law Clinic appeared in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court to defend a client in a fraudulent claims case. Under the supervision of Professor Yuri Linetsky, director of the Civil Law Clinic, and staff attorney Ricky Chambless, Bella Prince (lead), James Duer, Acker Holt, and Greg Short (all Class of 2025) obtained a defense verdict in a three-day trial, successfully protecting their client from a $250,000 claim.

The case centered around accusations of misrepresentation when the defendant chose to build two tiny homes—small, environmentally sustainable residential units—with funds her daughter received as compensation for an injury from a childhood car accident. The plaintiff sued for $250,000, asserting that her mother had violated the contract of the settlement by appropriating funds without consent.

Four people dressed in suits stand in front of a courthouse building

Appellate Advocacy Clinic Director Travis Ramey, Dalton Counts, Alli Swann & Assistant Dean Anil Mujumdar at the Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building in Atlanta.

Four law students dressed in business attire stand in front of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse

James Duer, Bella Prince, Greg Short & Acker Holt outside of the Tuscasloosa County Courthouse.

Moot Court & Trial Advocacy

The Moot Court and Trial Advocacy programs are essential components of preparing students for practice. In simulated cases, students hone analysis, research, writing, and their presence in court. In addition, students develop strategies, tactics, and rhetoric that will serve them throughout their careers. In competitions, they adapt to high pressure and demanding expectations.

Students Place First at Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition

At the 57th Annual National Black Law Students Association Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, Claudia Bonney Amamoo and Tionna Taite (both Class of 2025) represented Alabama Law in the Nelson Mandela International Negotiations Competition, where they competed against 16 other teams from around the country. The team was seeded first after each round and finished in first place.

The team was coached by Professor Susan Donovan and received assistance in practice rounds from Assistant Dean Cassandra Adams, Monroe Clayton ('26), Raine Cook ('23), and Kyra Perkins ('23).

Mock Trial Team Advances to Final Four at Case Classic

The team of Surendra Mahadeo, Jackson Hill, John Pace, and Bella Prince (all Class of 2025) advanced to the final four at the Case Classic Trial Advocacy Competition in Cleveland, Ohio. Coached by Professor Yuri Linetsky with support from Professors Terrence McCarthy, Steve Emens, and Gary Sullivan and staff attorney Ricky Chambless, the team defeated the law schools at Vanderbilt, Penn State, and Cincinnati to finish in the top four in a competition of 24 teams from 17 different schools. In addition to the team's outstanding performance, Mahadeo was named Top Advocate, the highest individual honor awarded at the competition. He was the only competitor to sweep all three judge ballots in a single round.

2Ls Compete in Appellate Advocacy Before Sitting Judges

Each spring, the 3L Moot Court Board, led by Professor Kimberly Boone, hosts a moot court competition for 2L students who are interested in expanding their appellate advocacy skills. Participants write a brief and present oral argument in competition with fellow classmates in several practice, preliminary, and bracket rounds. The competition culminates in a final oral argument before sitting judges.

This past year, the 2L Moot Court Competition finalists—Caroline Woodward, Madeline Martin, Andrew Weisenfeld, and Justin Heydt (all Class of 2026)—argued before Magistrate Judge Jerusha T. Adams of the Middle District of Alabama, Judge Robert J. Luck of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Justice Chris McCool ('93) of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The panel selected Woodward and Martin as the prevailing team and named Heydt the winner of the Reuben H. Wright Award for best advocate. Additionally, Nathan Shipper and Jack Steinmetz received the Walter P. Gewin Award for writing the best brief in the competition.

Tionna Taite, Professor Susan Donovan & Claudia Bonney Amamoo

Four law students dressed in business attire stand at the front of a courtroom. One students is holding a trophy.

John Pace, Bella Prince, Surendra Mahadeo & Jackson Hill

A group of seven people. The three people in the center are dressed in judge's robes. On the left side of the photo is a pair of two women, and two men are on the right. They are all in business attire.

Caroline Woodward, Madeline Martin, Justice Chris McCool (‘93), Judge Jerusha T. Adams, Judge Robert J. Luck, Justin Heydt & Andrew Weisenfeld

In Our Community & In Our Nation

Serving Rural Communities Across Alabama

In 2017, Judge Ben Bowden ('92)—former Circuit Judge for the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit in Covington County who was recently appointed to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals—partnered with Alabama Law to create the Finch Fellowship Initiative. Through the Initiative, students are given the opportunity to spend six to eight weeks as judicial interns in rural communities across the state. Under the direction of a Circuit Judge, these “Finch Fellows” gain experience in a range of settings such as circuit, district, and probate courts, as well as the local district attorney's office. Many of the Fellows also shadow local attorneys to better understand what it is like to practice law in rural communities.

Following the Initiative's initial success in Covington County, the program was expanded to include additional circuits: the Third Judicial Circuit in Barbour and Bullock Counties with Judge Burt Smithart ('89), the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit in Pickens, Lamar, and Fayette Counties with Judge Samuel Junkin ('00), and the Thirty-Eighth Judicial Circuit in Jackson County with Judge John Graham ('91).

Making an Impact in DC

Founded in 2012 with significant support from Mike House ('71) and Ed Rogers ('84), the DC Externship Program has placed more than 100 Alabama Law students in federal agencies, legislative committees, and nonprofit advocacy groups throughout Washington, DC. By 2019, Alabama Law was recognized for having the second-highest number of graduates working in Congress among law schools located outside of DC, and the influence of our alumni and students in the nation's capital has only continued to grow.

Cultivating a Lifelong Commitment to Service

This year marked the 25th Anniversary of the Public Interest Institute at Alabama Law. Founded in 2000 out of a shared vision between students, Professor Pam Pierson, and the Law School, the Institute was formed to provide unique opportunities and funding for students engaging in causes that advance the public good in Alabama and throughout the U.S.

“One of the things we want to do at our law school is train great lawyers who will go out and make a difference in their communities and in the lives of other people,” said Dean Bill Brewbaker. “Our Public Interest Institute is one very important way we do that.”

Last fall, Assistant Dean Cassandra Adams joined Alabama Law to lead the Public Interest Institute into its next phase of growth. Adams has deep ties to the Alabama State Bar and valuable experience leading similar programs at Wake Forest University School of Law and Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Defining the mission of the Institute through three core commitments—empowering future public interest lawyers, expanding access to justice, and building a culture of service—Adams often emphasizes the central role service plays within the legal profession.

“We are intentional about providing opportunities for students to develop their commitment to serving while still in law school,” said Adams. “Not everyone is going to pursue a traditional public interest career. However, as lawyers, we all serve in some capacity. It's simply what we do.”

While service is an important pillar of the Alabama Law experience, that culture of giving doesn't stop at graduation. In nearly every community in Alabama and in every state across the U.S., you can find Alabama Law alumni making a difference through the work they do. As a part of celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Public Interest Institute, we've highlighted just a few of the many alumni who are changing the world.

Aubrey Coleman ('14)

Senior State Policy Advisor, Rivian Automotive

For several years, Aubrey Coleman served as the Lead of International Partnerships for the Airband Initiative at Microsoft, where he spearheaded collaborations—securing millions of dollars in public funding—to increase digital safety and expand internet access to rural and marginalized communities across the globe. Due in large part to his success at Microsoft, Coleman was recruited by Rivian Automotive to promote policies that propel clean-tech solutions and large-scale decarbonization efforts across the country.

Carla Crowder ('09)

Executive Director, Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice

Carla Crowder is the Executive Director of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. As a civil rights lawyer for the past 15 years, she has challenged mass incarceration and extreme punishments in Alabama and won release for dozens of people wrongly convicted or sentenced to die in prison. Crowder was named to USA Today’s “Women of the Year” list in 2024 in recognition of her work, and, prior to law school, she was a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist.

Philip Langford ('96)

Chief Operations Officer, Dovetail Impact Foundation

Philip Langford serves as Chief Operations Officer for Dovetail Impact Foundation, providing leadership to the whole of Dovetail's global philanthropic work, which supports organizations delivering impact at scale for people in extreme poverty. Langford previously served as President of International Justice Mission's U.S. operations. Over his 16-year tenure, he led frontline operations in 19 countries on an array of social justice and human rights challenges, including human trafficking, gender-based violence, and police brutality.

Linda Lund ('89)

Former Director (ret.), Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program

Linda Lund served as the director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) for the Alabama State Bar for over 25 years. The VLP matches attorneys interested in pro bono work with low-income clients who are in need of civil legal assistance. She was also a volunteer coordinator for Wills for Heroes, a VLP program that offers free, basic estate planning services to first responders throughout the state.

Service in Action

In September, the Public Interest Institute partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Tuscaloosa to work on building a home for a member of the Tuscaloosa community. On that Saturday morning, a group of eight Alabama Law students and Assistant Dean Cassandra Adams traveled to West Tuscaloosa to work on a home in the Habitat for Humanity Milestone Community.

The Law School has deep ties to Habitat for Humanity—one of its founders, Millard Fuller ('60), along with his wife, Linda, joined Clarence Jordan to develop the concept of “partnership housing” and establish Habitat for Humanity International in 1976. Eleven years later, Habitat for Humanity was brought to Tuscaloosa by Hank Hawkins ('72), another Alabama Law graduate.

3L Emily Kelley chose to participate in the build because she believes that helping people and giving back to her community is important.

“As attorneys, we have had the opportunity to access higher education in a way many people aren't able to,” said Kelley. “It's always been very important to me to be able to use my legal career as a way to help other people and positively impact my community.”

A group of eight people on a Habitat for Humanity job site.

Assistant Dean Cassandra Adams, 1L Lane Stefurak, 1L Daisy Ferrell, 3L Emily Kelley, 1L Sidney Gilley, 1L Zander Narum, 1L Anne Lauren Ermert, and the Habitat for Humanity site leader at the project site in Tuscaloosa.