Year: 2015
Archive 2014
For his work in Sycamore Row, New York Times bestselling author, lawyer and previous Harper Lee Prize winner John Grisham received the 2014 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The prize, authorized by Ms. Lee and co-sponsored by The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal, is given annually to a book-length…
Professor Krotoszynski Says Alabama Fight Against Gay Marriage Has Few Options
Prof. Krotoszynski recently told AL.com that Alabama has few options to fight against gay marriage. “It is perfectly okay for people to use the political process to initiate a change,” he said. “The constitution is not unamendable. But at this point it’s a political battle, not a legal one.” The Alabama Policy Institute and the…
Professor Carodine Weighs In On Gun Control
Prof. Montre Carodine recently told The Washington Times President Barack Obama is right when he links criminal justice reform and gun control. “We hear talk about ‘good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns,’ but we have a criminal justice system that spends too much time labeling many nonviolent people as ‘bad.’ At the same…
Alabama State Bar Installs Lee Copeland As 140th President, Announces Award Recipients
The Alabama State Bar recently installed Montgomery attorney Lee H. Copeland, ’82, as its 140th president. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as the next president of the Alabama State Bar,” said Copeland of Copeland Franco Screws & Gill, P.A. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation that has already been…
Professor Krotoszynski Says Most States Will Likely Extend Family Rights To Same-Sex Couples
Prof. Ronald Krotoszynski said the U.S. Supreme Court found marriage a “fundamental right,” but didn’t mention other family issues such as adoption. State courts “could in theory draw a distinction” between marriage and adoption, he told AL.com, which could result in more lawsuits. “I’m not advocating this (interpretation),” he said, noting that most states will…
Professor Carodine Questions Why $1 Billion BP Settlement Will Be Directed To Alabama’s General Fund
Professor Montre Carodine recently told AL.com she questions why part of Alabama’s BP oil settlement will be directed to the state’s General Fund. As part of BP’s $18.7 billion settlement with states affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Alabama will receive $1.3 billion for environmental damages that will be paid over 15…
Professor Carodine Says BP Oil Settlement Is A Win for Gulf Coast States
Professor Montre Carodine recently said on NPR’s “All Things Considered” that BP’s $18.7 billion settlement is a win for the states affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. “It’s a win for BP because they get to pay the amount out over time. It’s a win for the Gulf states because they will…
Deborah Johnson Wins 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction
For her work in The Secret of Magic, Deborah Johnson will receive the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The prize, authorized by Ms. Lee and co-sponsored by The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal, is given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of…
Professors Fair and Krotoszynski Weigh In On Gay Marriage Decision
UA Law Professors Bryan Fair and Ronald Krotoszynski provided perspective to AL.com about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Constitution requires same-sex couples be allowed to marry. “No more Jim Crow,” Fair said. “Finally, the Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot prohibit same-sex marriage, extending the fundamental right to marry to consenting adults…
Professor Carodine Discusses President Obama’s Comments About Race
Prof. Montre Carodine, who has written extensively on race relations, recently told The Washington Times President Barack Obama sparked a broader conversation on race when he used the N-word to show the country still has not overcome its legacy of racism. “We have to speak honestly and openly about the state of race relations and…