Professor Al Brophy is quoted in an Alabama Public Radio story about removing a Confederate monument in Birmingham.
For more read, “Next Birmingham Mayor May Inherit Confederate Monument Fight.”
Professor Joyce Vance, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, appeared on Morning Joe and discussed how the U.S. can protect freedom and manage law enforcement in the wake of news that Russia purchased advertisements on social media during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Domestic Violence Task Force of Tuscaloosa County dedicated a handmade bench on October 4 to The University of Alabama School of Law in memory of Liz Whipple, who passed away in April.
Whipple served as the interim director of the School of Law’s Domestic Violence Clinic and chairperson of the Domestic Violence Task Force of Tuscaloosa for two years. A 2007 graduate of Alabama Law, she had been a student during the first year of the Domestic Violence Clinic. The bench will be placed in the room where Whipple worked on cases as a student and where she taught as a clinical professor.
Liz Whipple
Almost six months after her passing, an intimate group gathered in the lobby of the Law Clinics and reflected on Whipple’s quick wit, colorful language, and effervescent sense of style.
She had a love of service, the outdoors, and companionship, said Tuscaloosa District Attorney Hays Webb. The bench, he said, symbolizes each of those attributes.
“It was through our profession, through our love of the law that she was able to do what she loved, serving people as Director of the Domestic Violence Task Force, as Director of the Domestic Violence Clinic,” Webb said.
Anne Hornsby, Associate Dean for Clinical Programs and Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction, said Whipple was a “remarkable person.” For starters, she knew more about the intersection of law and domestic violence than anyone she encountered in the 11-year history of the law clinics.
“She was funny and kind, but she had a sense of humor that had an edge that some of us here may have experienced,” Hornsby said. “She was empathetic and she was compassionate, but she was capable of being really tough and even demanding when the situation called for it.”
Tricia Perkins, a member of the Domestic Violence Task Force, recited a poem she wrote about Whipple. It was titled, “The Fighter,” in honor of Whipple’s determination to help those touched by domestic violence, while Alan Henderson, Worship Pastor at Calvary Tuscaloosa, strummed an acoustic guitar and sang Michael Jackson’s “Gone too Soon.”
On the count of three, colleagues and friends released 25 purple balloons and watched as they floated into the open sky in memory of Whipple and in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The bench was generously donated by Suzanne and John McKibbin. John McKibbin crafted the bench in honor of the legacy Whipple leaves behind. It will serve as a constant reminder of an authentic woman who fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.
Professor Al Brophy is quoted in USA Today about how the nation could approach concerns about statues of Christopher Columbus.
For more, read “As Confederate Statues Come Down, What About Columbus?”
Professor Ronald Krotoszynski is quoted in Detroit Legal News about privacy and freedom of speech.
For more, read “Scholars, Journalists Offer Global Take on Privacy and Free Expression.”
Professor Joyce Vance is quoted in The Guardian about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s interest in Paul Manafort.
For more, read “Paul Manafort: Why Trump’s Old Ally Could Hold the Key in Mueller’s Russia Hunt.”
Professor Fredrick Vars is quoted in The Trace about a Wisconsin bill that would allow residents to ban themselves from purchasing guns for up to two decades.
For more, read “To Reduce Suicides, Wisconsin Bill Would Let People Ban Themselves From Buying Guns.”
General Charles Krulak, former commandant of the United States Marine Corps, visited Alabama Law Sept. 13.
Krulak discussed his military experience, which includes time as a platoon commander in Vietnam and the Gulf War, and his four years as the 31st Commandant of the Marines. Krulak also served as CEO of MBNA Europe and as non-executive director of Aston Villa, an English-league soccer club. The event was sponsored by the UA Military Law Society.
Professor Paul Horwitz is quoted in The Washington Post about whether U.S. senators are free to vote against a nominee for religious reasons.
For more, read “Did Dianne Feinstein Accuse a Judicial Nominee of Being too Christian?”
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be unable to visit Alabama Law this week for the Albritton Lecture and related events. Weather caused by Hurricane Irma made her scheduled flights impossible. The Justice’s staff said that she is disappointed about the cancellation and hopes to reschedule for a future date.
