Alabama Law 3L Courtney Garrett recently had three articles accepted for publication in academic law journals this Fall semester:
UC Davis Social Justice Law Review: The Narrow Road for Legal Access in Rural America for Indigent Citizens in The Post Pandemic Era
Rutgers Race and the Law Review: The Muffled Voice of Minority Law Students How Law Journals Have Succumbed to Unsolicited Biases and Limited the Progression of Diversity in Law Schools
The Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice: Aptitude Testing as a Racially Discriminatory and Class-skewed Method of Regulating College Admissions. How Did it Start and Who Profits from the Current Scheme?
While working on these articles, Garrett received guidance and feedback from Professors Anil Mujumdar, Richard Delgado, and Jean Stefancic.
Garrett, originally from Gadsden, Alabama, previously served in the military before entering law school. In his spare time, he coaches a youth basketball team, and he has plans to publish several additional academic articles. Garrett’s long-term career goals include working for a mid-size plaintiff firm specializing in personal injury, engaging with a non-profit focused on assisting at-risk youth in America, and eventually teaching at a university. After graduating in December, Courtney will begin working in the pre-litigation department at Reaves Law Firm in Memphis.
Professor Jenny Carroll was recently featured in a WTVA interview discussing Aniah’s Law, which would give Alabama judges more authority to deny bail to those charged with a violent felony. Watch the full interview here.
Professor William (Bill) Andreen was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article titled Worsening Drought in Deep South Seen as Spurring Legal Friction. Read the full article here.
In 2012, Mike House (’71) and Ed Rogers (’84) had a goal of creating an externship program to introduce Alabama Law students to career opportunities in Washington DC. Ten years later, through the leadership and support of many dedicated alumni, Alabama Law’s DC Externship Program has placed more than 70 students in over 43 different agencies, committees, or advocacy group offices across DC.
“DC is a top out-of-state market for our graduates,” said House (’71), past president of the Alabama Law Board of Governors (2020-2022), long-time parter at Hogan Lovells, and founder of Oak Grove Strategies. “It is a unique city where contacts and qualifications can be equally important. This is why this program, backed up by a strong committed alumni network, is essential.”
The program places students in federal agencies, legislative committees, or nonprofit advocacy groups during the spring semester of their second or third year of law school. While in DC, externs work full-time for the 14-week semester and earn 12 hours of academic credit accompanied by a two-credit hour political and legislative writing course taught by four Alabama Law alumni.
“The DC Program has helped our students build their careers in multiple ways,” said Program Director and Assistant Dean Megan Walsh (’12). “Some use the experience to learn more about the DC market and make connections while there for future opportunities in DC. Others seek out specific practice areas at agencies and non-profits to gain experience to take back to other organizations that practice the same topic.”
Upon arrival in DC, each law student participating in the program is paired with a mentor from Alabama Law’s DC Advisory Board, made up of Alabama Law alumni in the area. Throughout the 14-week course, mentors offer advice to students on applying the law, operating in the workforce, networking, understanding policy, and becoming well-rounded professionals. For many of the Board Members, the opportunity to mentor the students is personal.
“I want to help students get started in DC,” said John Cox (’92), adjunct professor in the DC externship program and Founder and Managing Director at Verto Solutions. “I give back to the students because Alabama Law grads helped me get started in Washington after I graduated.”
For the students participating in the externship program, the personal mentorship offered by the Advisory Board members doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The Alabama Law alumni I encountered in Washington, DC were incredibly generous with their time and interested in the success of Alabama students,” said Meredith Moore, a 3L who participated in the program in Spring 2022. “The law students participating in the DC. Externship program not only interacted with alumni professors, but with an entire advisory board of alumni who shape the program and want to help Alabama Law students.”
During her externship, Moore worked as a semester law clerk for the Department of Justice’s Federal Tort Claims Act Section where she was responsible for helping determine the government’s tort liability and defending the government from claims of employee negligence.
“On a normal day, I helped my Section process administrative claims submitted to the Department by researching the applicable federal and state law and drafting memoranda recommending the settlement or denial of claims,” Moore said. “Throughout the semester, I had the chance to assist my supervisor by working on matters involving a variety of federal agencies and laws, which was an incredible opportunity to expand my legal expertise.”
With the support of Alabama Law Alumni, past student placements have included: the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Office of the White House Counsel, the Department of Labor, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Center for Justice and International Law, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Senate Budget Committee, the Senate Legislative Counsel, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
“[This program] has changed lives,” said Michael Taylor (’97), chair of the DC Advisory Committee, adjunct professor, and partner at King & Spalding. “Part of the real success of the Externship Program is because the University is behind it. It takes a lot of time and effort to run a program like this.”
However, according to Program Director and Assistant Dean Megan Walsh, it’s the alumni who truly make the difference.
“The Alabama Law support system in DC is incredible, and we are so thankful for such wonderful alumni who give back to our students,” Walsh said.
From taking headshots in front of the Supreme Court, going on private tours of the Senate Chambers, attending receptions and alumni events, and working with their placements, externs are given every opportunity possible to build their network and relationships in the DC area.
“The results speak for themselves,” said House (’71). “In a recent survey of Capitol Hill employees, Alabama Law ranked sixth among National Law Schools in the number of graduates working in Congress—second, just behind Harvard if you are looking at schools that aren’t based in DC. * This is a remarkable achievement.”
And while this program is driven by the commitment and mentorship of alumni and adjunct professors in the DC area, the experience would not be possible for many students without the financial backing provided by our generous alumni base. Recently, Alabama Law introduced the Mike and Gina House DC Externship Student Support Fund—in recognition of the tireless and selfless dedication of Mike and Gina House—to offset additional living costs for students. Not only are housing costs high in DC, but many students must also continue paying rent in Tuscaloosa while they are away for the spring semester. Through the Mike and Gina House Fund, the Law School can ensure that financial barriers do not keep students from participating in an externship experience in DC.
“I could not have participated in this program without the financial and academic support I received from Alabama Law” Moore said. “I want to express my deep gratitude for the school’s commitment to this program and recognition of the value it has for its students. This experience will impact my law school career and future legal career because it gave me a greater understanding of a small part of the largest legal employer in the world, an inside look at life as an attorney in Washington, DC, and a deep respect for the DOJ’s work.”
To learn more about the Alabama Law’s DC Externship Program, contact Megan Walsh, Director of DC Externship Program: mwalsh@law.ua.edu.
_____________________________________________________________________________
* The data reflects congressional staffers working in DC congressional offices as of April 30th, 2019. Rankings found on LegBranch.org: https://www.legbranch.org/everything-youve-ever-wanted-to-know-about-educational-pipelines-to-capitol-hill/
On October 22, Alabama Law hosted its annual Alumni Homecoming Tailgate on the front lawn of the Law School. Attendees enjoyed delectable food and drink while connecting with old friends before catching a golf cart to the stadium for the Homecoming game. The theme of this year’s Tailgate was centered on The 50 | 150 Anniversaries—commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Law School’s founding and the 50th anniversary of the first Commencement of African American students from the School of Law. View images from this event here.
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.
