On October 14, Alabama Law hosted a Symposium on Constitutional Ethnography. The Symposium, organized by Professor Deepa Das Acevedo, brought together prominent anthropologists and scholars of law and law & society to discuss the potential benefits, challenges, and approaches to studying constitutional law from the perspective of persons and institutions affected by the law. The keynote address was given by Kim Lane Scheppele of Princeton University. Other panelists included professors from the University of Chicago, University of Virginia, University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill among many other notable institutions.
Professor Julie Hill was recently quoted in a Money article titled The Oldest U.S Bank Will Now Hold Crypto, Adding an ‘Aura of Legitimacy’ to the Market. Read the full piece here.
Professor Fredrick Vars and Alabama 3L law student, Jillian Miller Purdue recently co-authored an article that was accepted for publication in Texas A&M Law Review. The forthcoming piece is titled Time to Heal: Trauma’s Impact on Rape & Sexual Assault Statutes of Limitations, which you can preview here.
Alabama Law is pleased to host the Symposium on Constitutional Ethnography, a hybrid event to be held in Tuscaloosa and online, Friday, October 14, 9:30 am-5:30 pm Central Daylight Time. The Symposium will bring together prominent anthropologists of law and law & society scholars to discuss the potential benefits, challenges, and approaches to ethnographically studying constitutional law. A keynote address will be given by Kim Lane Scheppele (Princeton University). Attendance is free, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link. To RSVP, click here.
Huffpost recently published an article titled My Mom Died By Suicide. If This One Thing Had Been Different, I Believe She’d Still Be With Us. The piece mentions Professor Fredrick Vars’s involvement in bringing to life Donna’s Law—bipartisan gun-safety legislation that allows vulnerable individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from gun-related suicide. Read the full article Here.
Professor Benjamin McMichael was recently featured in a Yahoo! News Article titled Abortion Battle Emerges in Congress Over New Veterans Affairs Rule. Read the full article here.
Professor Luke Herrine interviewed with several major news outlets regarding student debt relief. His commentary is highlighted in The New York Times, CNN, and Business Insider, along with several additional outlets.
In 2019, David (’00) and Laura Drinkard Hodge (’00) made a generous donation to the Law School Foundation to create the Class Composite Preservation Project Fund. The goal of this fund is to digitize and preserve the composite photos from graduating classes throughout the years, making them accessible for future generations to view.
As time passes, the composites are at risk of fading out, getting damaged, or even being lost due to natural disasters. While most of the composites are in good shape, the School of Law is taking preventive actions by digitizing them to ensure that these pieces of history are preserved and that our students and alumni are not forgotten.
“Our law school’s composites date back to 1886,” said David Durham, curator of archival collections at Alabama Law. “Early examples were handmade, with each image carefully pasted with the corresponding name hand lettered onto the matting. It underscores that these are not only windows into our law school’s history, but also works of art in their own right. These composites are unique, one-of-a-kind representations of an important part of our school’s history, many of which are considered high risk and in need of continued preservation efforts.”
The composite photos hold a special place in many of the hearts of alumni and their families. It isn’t uncommon to see a former student bringing their loved ones, co-workers, and friends to show them photo from their time in law school.
“I can remember going to Homecoming with my parents when I was growing up. It was always fun to look for the composites on the wall and find [my father] and then find my grandfather,” said Laura Drinkard Hodge (‘00), a third-generation Alabama Law alumna. “It was neat because my grandfather’s composite hung in one of the classrooms that I had class in while I was in school. I always enjoyed finding that connection.”
David Hodge (’00) expressed his love for history and an interest in being able to view the archive of images of Alabama Law alumni from over the years. “You can see what prominent alumni looked like while they were in law school. That’s something that always interested me as a student, and I think it is important to preserve that.”
The Class Composite Preservation Project is ongoing. Earlier this year, Alabama Law completed the digitization of the earliest and most vulnerable composites, ranging from 1886-1936. Preservation of the composites from 1937-1952 is currently in progress.
This story is a part of The 50 | 150 Anniversaries—a celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the School of Law’s founding and the 50th Anniversary of the graduation of the first class of African American students at Alabama Law. Though we have a rich history, many of the greatest stories have not yet been shared. If you have any memories or photos you would like to share, send our way for the chance to have them featured on our Anniversary website or other social platforms.
Story compiled by: Callie Jackson & Josh Bird
Professor Fredrick Vars published an opinion piece titled Dangerous and Discriminatory: Mental Health Questions on Bar Applications in Jurist Legal News and Commentary. Read the full article here.
He was also quoted in the article The Voluntary Gun Law Preventing Suicides in reasons to be cheerful. You can read the full piece here.
This past summer, Alabama Law students Katie Hill, Meghan McLeroy, Kelsey Marie Perine, and Maya Stevenson were selected as fellows in The Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program. This program provides financial support to law students who choose to spend their summers in unpaid legal public interest internships.
Alabama Law students Katie Hill, Meghan McLeroy, Kelsey Marie Perine, and Maya Stevenson pose with Glory McLaughlin (Assistant Dean for Public Interest Law) and Gary Sullivan (Chair of the Public Interest Committee).
This was the first year Alabama Law was selected to participate in the Stevens Fellowship Program. The program began in 1997 in honor of the United States Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who believed that a successful justice system depends on lawyers who are dedicated to public interest work. Over time, the foundation has grown to include 38 law schools across the country—Alabama Law being among the eight additional law schools invited to join the 2022 class. Selections were chosen based on financial need and commitment to public interest law. This year, four Alabama Law students were awarded Stevens Fellowships, which included a monetary award of $6,000 per student in support of their public interest work this summer.
Participants had the option to work anywhere in the country for their internship, but each of the Alabama Law Stevens Fellows decided to complete their internships in the South. Maya Stevenson worked with the Capital Appeals Project, a nonprofit law office in New Orleans, which helps to provide justice for those on death row. Kelsey Marie Perine served as a Summer Law Clerk with The Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender in Tennessee. Katie Hill and Meghan McLeroy both completed their internship locally in Birmingham. Katie worked with the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office and Meghan worked with the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, helping to fight systemic racism in laws and policies.
