The Federalist Society student organization at Alabama Law was recently named Chapter of the Year—the highest honor a Federalist Society chapter can attain—at the 2024 National Student Symposium. The event was hosted by the Federalist Society at Harvard Law School, where the Alabama Law chapter was also recognized as a finalist for the George Washington Award for Innovation.
Professor Susan Pace Hamill was featured as an expert in WalletHub’s recent article, States with the Best & Worst Taxpayer ROI.
This month, 3L students Aleah Brown, Hannah King, Carmen Paige, and Simone Hampton took second place—out of sixty teams—at the Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition during the National Black Law Students Association Conference hosted in Houston, Texas. In addition, both Brown and King received near-perfect scores during the preliminary rounds and were named best advocate and runner-up, respectively.
The team, coached by Alabama Law graduates Chenelle Smith (’21) and Justin Jones (’12), qualified for the national competition by placing third at the regional event in North Carolina earlier this semester. While Alabama Law BLSA teams have had strong showings in previous years, this is the first time the team has advanced to compete in the championship round at nationals.
With heavy hearts, the Alabama Law community mourns the passing of a dear alumna, colleague, and friend—Vanessa Leonard (Class of 1995).
As a member of the University of Alabama Systems Board of Trustees, Leonard served as an ex-officio member of the Law School Foundation Board of Governors for many years, and, earlier this month, she was inducted into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor for her outstanding achievements and commitment to the Law School.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of this dear friend, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to her classmates, colleagues, and loved ones. We will miss her greatly.
Read more about Trustee Leonard in a memoriam posted by the University of Alabama System.
Professor Ronald Krotoszynski’s University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law article, Free Speech and the Irrelevancy of Text and History to Constitutional Interpretation, was recently reviewed on Dorf on Law. The review was written by Professor Eric Segall of Georgia State University College of Law and can be read online.
Last weekend, 3Ls Aleah Brown, Hannah King, Carmen Paige, and Simone Hampton competed in the Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition during the Southern Regional Black Law School Student’s Association Conference. The team finished 3rd in the region and will advance to the national competition in Houston, Texas from March 6-9. Additionally, Aleah Brown was awarded best advocate after finishing all preliminary rounds with a perfect score.
The team is coached by Chenelle Smith (’21) and Justin Jones (’12).
With heavy hearts, the Alabama Law community mourns the passing of a dear alumni, colleague, and friend—W. Percy Badham III (Class of 1982). Percy was a founding partner at Badham and Buck in Birmingham, and he served as former president of the Law School Foundation Board of Governors. In 2021, Percy was inducted into the Foundation’s Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of this dear friend, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his colleagues and loved ones. We will miss him greatly.
Evan Milligan gives his keynote address, Special Perspectives of Allen v. Milligan
On February 16, the Alabama Law Review hosted its 2024 symposium, Allen v. Milligan: The Intersectionality of Race, Elections, and Democracy, at The University of Alabama School of Law. This symposium explored the history of the Voting Rights Act—an Act with deep ties to the state of Alabama—and included panels of government officials, litigants, and academics who offered a wide variety of perspectives and deep analysis on the changing landscape of election law.
The keynote speaker, Evan Milligan, executive director of Alabama Forward and named representative plaintiff in Allen v. Milligan, offered a unique perspective on the intersectionality of law and race. He discussed the global impact of having a representative democracy and shared insights on his involvement in Allen v. Milligan.
This symposium was made possible by Lauren Chambliss, Editor-in-Chief of Alabama Law Review; Rachel Dees, Special Works Editor of Alabama Law Review; Professor Jenny Carroll, the Alabama Law Review faculty advisor; Nathan Smart, assistant dean of administration; members of the Alabama Law Review managing board, and dedicated Alabama Law staff.
A History of the Voting Rights Act and Gerrymandering paneled by: Kirk Walter (moderator), Associate Director of Public Services, The University of Alabama School of Law; Daniel Tokaji, Fred W. & Vi Miller Dean and Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School; Emily Rong Zhang, Assistant Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law; and Justin Levitt, Professor of Law and Gerald T. McLaughlin Fellow, Loyola Law School
The Role and Perspective of State Legislators and Local Litigants paneled by: Chris England, Alabama House of Representatives Representing District 70 and chair of the Alabama Democratic Party; Frederick Spight (moderator), Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction and Interim Director of Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic, The University of Alabama School of Law; and Cynthia Almond, Alabama House of Representatives Representing District 63 and attorney at Almond Attorneys
The Future of Elections: A Broader Conversation on the Sanctity of Representative Democracy paneled by: Michael T. Morley, Sheila M. McDevitt Professor, Florida State University College of Law; Jess Unger, Senior Staff Attorney, Southern Poverty Law Center; Michael Li, Senior Counsel, Democracy, Brennan Center for Justice; and Joyce Vance (moderator), Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law
A Conversation About the Role Race, Gender, and Class Play in Elections paneled by: Daiquiri Steele (moderator), Assistant Professor of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law; Jerome Dees, Policy Director, Southern Poverty Law Center; Jennifer Taylor, Lecturer in Law, Clinical Lecturer in Law, Associate Research Scholar in Law, and Executive Director of the Liman Center, Yale Law School; and Bryan K. Fair (moderator), Thomas E. Skinner Professor of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law
The Carol Rice Andrews ABA Moot Court team won their regional competition in Las Vegas this past weekend. The team of 3Ls Sean Collins, Molly Glisson, and Tindol Pate will advance to the National rounds in Philadelphia in April.
3Ls Tamara Boles and Trent Gill, along with 2L Moot Court Fellow Alli Swann were awarded 3rd best brief in the region.
The team is coached by Dean Anita Kay Head.
This month, the Bruce Siegal Intellectual Property Moot Court team finished in 1st place at the Southeast Regional Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Law Moot Court Competition in Atlanta.
Meredith Claunch, Addison Franklin, Elise Helton, and Erin Sullivan competed, winning the award for Best Brief in addition to taking home the first place prize. The team, coached by Professor Alan Durham, will advance to Nationals, which is to be held in Washington, D.C. in March.
