Professor Vars Publishes an Op-Ed in the Daily News
Law Student Determined to Make a Difference in Alabama
Haley Carter, a law student from Mobile, never doubted that the Capstone was where she wanted to get her Juris Doctorate. But finances quickly became a concern for Carter, as her husband is also seeking a graduate degree and has no scholarship aid.
Carter was awarded the Judge Robert E.L. Key and the Claude E. Hamilton Sr. & Family Endowed Scholarships for 2019-20 and 2020-21, which covers half of her tuition costs and provides a solution for her and her husband’s financial concerns.
“We were trying to keep down costs because we’re both paying for graduate school,” Carter said. “The scholarship has helped me immensely in that capacity.”
Part of Carter’s decision to attend The University of Alabama was the Capstone’s mission of service. During her senior year of college, Carter was selected to be a Fulbright Scholar, during which time she traveled to Honduras to teach English and engage in the local communities, including working with homeless children in Tegucigalpa.
She said this experience was the “most formative 10 months” of her life, and it transformed how she relates and serves her community at home in Alabama.
“I came back with a different worldview and a different perspective that I otherwise never would have had,” Carter said. “It started a lot of really important conversations about what my community looks like and how I can better serve that community. It also informed the type of law I want to practice.”
After her anticipated graduation in May, Carter plans on applying for fellowships and clerkships in hopes of making an influential, lasting change in the communities of Alabama.
“I’m interested in litigation, family law and immigration law,” she said. “But my goal long-term is just to make a difference in my community. It’s not to become some rich and famous lawyer.”
Carter wants to stay in Alabama, not only to be close to her family but also to transform the state for the better.
“I feel there’s a lot of work to be done here and a lot of change to be made,” she said. “Being from Alabama, I want to be the person to make that change.”
Without scholarship assistance, Carter may not have been able to pursue her path. Scholarships, fellowships and other programming allow students such as Carter to achieve their aspirations of excellence and leadership at The University of Alabama. Providing donor-funded scholarships and fellowships to more students allows the Capstone to recruit and retain students who will go on to improve the world around them.
Professor Bhargava Ray’s Article Reviewed in Jotwell
Recent Alabama Law Graduate Expresses Gratitude for Life-changing Scholarship
Tyler Smoot (Class of ’21) came to Alabama Law with degrees from both Baylor and Duke, where he studied religion and divinity. He was motivated to apply to law school after working for several years with the Northcott Neighborhood House in Milwaukee where he assisted adult students studying to earn their GED. During his time there, he noticed many of the students had criminal backgrounds and had gone directly from high school into the prison system. This inspired Tyler to serve the public in a different way—through the study and practice of law.
Tyler came to law school with a lot of responsibilities—including the financial responsibilities he shared with his wife of raising their two children. Fortunately, he was the recipient of the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship—which covered much of his tuition costs at Alabama Law.
In response to receiving this scholarship, Tyler said, “I never would have been able to go to law school in the first place without my tuition being covered. I have a wife and two kids and because of this scholarship my kids are able to have food on the table and go to daycare while I earn[ed] my degree.”
To learn about how to establish a scholarship to support Alabama Law students, please contact:
Jason Wear
205-348-8272
Director of Development, School of Law
jwear@law.ua.edu
OR
Caroline Strawbridge
Associate Senior Director of Development, School of Law
205-348-4191
cstrawbridge@law.ua.edu
Carving Her Own Path: Mother & Lawyer
In 2017, Aaliyah Locke gave birth to her son, Quentin, while pursuing her undergrad degree in PR. As a single mother, Locke dreamed of opportunities beyond her hometown for her and her son, despite the convenience and support that came with being close to family. Inspired by her grandfather who worked in law enforcement as a police officer and correctional officer, Locke decided to carve out her own path in law. She courageously applied to Alabama Law, and upon being admitted and receiving scholarship support, she and Quentin moved to Tuscaloosa—400 miles away from her family support system in order to get a Top 25 Law School education.
In addition to being a full-time law student spending 30 or more hours per week studying or in class, Locke also worked as a legal intern and research assistant part-time to support herself and her son. As Quentin’s sole caregiver, if he was sick or his daycare was closed, Locke would have to miss class or work. But Locke said she quickly found “her village” in a supportive system of faculty, administrators, and fellow students at Alabama Law.
“I’m a student, but also a mom, because life still happens outside of law school, and we have to adapt,” she said. “I wanted to help other parents be able to come to and thrive in law school because life isn’t going to stop for school, so why not make it more accessible?”
Locke walked across the graduation stage on May 8, 2022—Mother’s Day—becoming an associate at Baker Donelson soon after.
“This is the start for me. I’m still figuring out my place in this world and what I can contribute to it, but this is definitely not the climax of my story,” she said. “All I can say is, stay tuned.”
Interested in Offering Financial Support to Alabama Law Students?
To learn about how to establish a scholarship to support Alabama Law students, please contact:
Jason Wear
205-348-8272
Director of Development, School of Law
jwear@law.ua.edu
OR
Caroline Strawbridge
Associate Senior Director of Development, School of Law
205-348-4191
cstrawbridge@law.ua.edu
Visit The 50 | 150 Anniversaries website
View Locke’s full story on the UA website
Professor Vars Publishes an Op-Ed in the LA Times
Professor Krotoszynski Publishes Op-Ed in Slate Magazine
Professor Ronald Krotoszynski published an opinion piece in Slate titled The Supreme Court’s Elevation of School Prayer Over Other Free Speech Is Untenable. The full article can be read online.
Professors Acevedo and Kimpel Quoted in AP Fact Check Article
Alabama Law Summer Scholars Visit the ALMD
Shared with permission from the United States District Court Middle District of Alabama. Read the original piece on their blog.
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On Wednesday, June 22, 2022, the Alabama Middle District welcomed the Alabama Law Summer Scholars Program from The University of Alabama School of Law. The Alabama Law Summer Scholars Program is a cost-free, pre-law student program that allows undergraduate students to become more acquainted with the legal profession. Participants of this program are students who come from backgrounds that are historically or currently underrepresented in the legal profession. Accompanying the Scholars were Professor Anil Mujumdar and other staff and graduate assistants from The University of Alabama School of Law.
During their visit, Scholars were provided with a brief overview of Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr and were givien the opportunity to tour the Johnson Library. They also enjoyed a discussion with United States Magistrate Judge Jerusha Adams about the legal profession and learned more about her path to the bench. Judge Adams shared some tips about finding mentors, applying to law school, and allowing yourself to engage in unexpected opportunities because you never know how positively they could impact your life.
Scholars also had the opportunity to speak with Senior United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson about his legal career and tenure as a Judge, the history of the courthouse, and the impact of Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr on the country. Judge Thompson also provided scholars with a brief overview of how some of the architectural decisions were made for this courthouse and challenged the students to think critically about the history of buildings that they enter in the future. The architecture always tells a story!
Chief United States District Judge Emily C. Marks spoke with the students about her transition to the bench from private practice. Judge Marks also provided the Scholars an overview of some of her specific duties as the Chief Judge of the Middle District and expressed her sincere love for the job. Additionally, she spoke of the value of a legal education and discussed how rewarding a legal career can be.
The Scholars also had the opportunity to have lunch with both Term and Career Law Clerks for the Middle District. During lunch, various clerks shared information about their journey to the legal profession and their experiences working with the Federal Judicial System. Clerks were also able to provide detailed advice about the law school application process, how to decide what law school to attend, applying for clerkships, and more! The Scholars asked very inquisitive questions and gained a lot of useful insight that they can take with them as they contemplate pursing a legal career. The Middle District enjoyed having the Alabama Scholars engage with the court family and looks forward to the program’s return in the future.
Professor Vars Publishes Opinion Article in the New Haven Register
Professor Fredrick Vars published an opinion piece titled Murder on the High Seas: CT’s Slayer Rule on Trial in the New Haven Register. Read the full article online.
