Congratulations to Samuel N. Crosby (’78), the recipient of the 2016 Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumnus Award. Crosby received the award at the Farrah Law Alumni Society Banquet Friday at the Law School. The award is given to an outstanding alumnus of the University of Alabama School of Law who has distinguished himself or herself through service to the bar, the University of Alabama and the School of Law.
It was an evening marked with achievement. Dean Mark E. Brandon (’78) announced that alumni have raised more than $130,000 in contributions and pledges for the Thomas L. Jones Fund, and Elizabeth Huntley (’97), Chair of the Farrah Law Alumni Society, recognized Camille Wright Cook (’48) for her commitment to teaching and accomplishments while at the University of Alabama.
Sam Grimes (’16), John Hundscheid (’16), and Irene Motles (’16) competed against tax teams from across the country in the National Tax Moot Court Competition in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The UA Law tax team was one of only three teams to win both its preliminary rounds and automatically advance to the quarterfinals. In the preliminary round, the team defeated Louisville and Oregon. The team also won its quarterfinal round against Kentucky to advance to the semifinals. The team lost to Loyola-Chicago in the semifinal round, but won its consolation round against LSU to take third place, the best overall finish for an Alabama team.
The team was coached by Clay Staggs (‘96).
Professor Stephen Rushin recently commented in The Boston Globe that police reform comes at a cost.
In Ferguson, Missouri, city leaders say the costs associated with a consent decree could consume more than one-fourth of its annual operating budget.
“There’s never been a concerted national effort to really spend a lot of money to address police misconduct,” Rushin said. “We’re finally coming to the recognition that correcting police misconduct is an expensive proposition.”
For more, read “As the Cost of Police Misconduct Grows, So Do Taxes.”
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) visited the Law School and offered advice to law students.
Rep. Sewell is serving her third term as the U.S. Representative of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. She is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama and is the first black woman to serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation.
The special event was co-sponsored by the Career Services Office and the Public Interest Institute. Dean Mark E. Brandon introduced Rep. Sewell and welcomed her to the Law School.
During her 40-minute talk, Rep. Sewell urged students to find gaps and plug holes. Students, she said, should be willing to accept the job nobody else wants to learn on a Friday night.
“When I look back on my career, those are the moments that defined my character but also showcased my willingness to roll up my sleeves and do the mundane.”
With apologies to law professors, Rep. Sewell told students they should spend their first formative years out of law school learning the craft “because you learn how to be a lawyer on the job.”
She also urged students to put aside some time in their career for public service. “You should all factor into your life a season of service that will allow you to use your talents for the benefit of other people.”
“We at the University of Alabama School of Law were saddened to hear of the passing of Nelle Harper Lee,” said Dean Mark E. Brandon. “Her death is a loss not only to the School of Law, which she attended, but also to the State of Alabama, the nation, and the world. In To Kill a Mockingbird, she penned a novel of elegant prose, set in the granular relations of a small Southern town, but eloquently touching themes of universal significance. In her life and work, she showed that she had both a keen eye and an unwavering moral voice.”
The University of Alabama also issued a statement.
“The University of Alabama extends its sympathy to Nelle Harper Lee’s family and friends and the millions of readers of To Kill a Mockingbird. Miss Lee will continue to serve as an inspiration for many generations of writers, and we proudly claim her as one of our own.”
Professor Stephen Rushin recently commented in The Wall Street Journal and PBS Frontline on the Justice Department’s lawsuit against the city of Ferguson, Missouri.
The lawsuit came after the Ferguson City Council voted to change a proposed consent decree to reform the police and courts. The council said the package, which had been negotiated between the Department of Justice and city officials, cost too much.
Rushin told The Wall Street Journal while discussions continue between local and federal officials following such federal probes, negotiations tend to end after a proposed settlement is reached.
“I’m not aware of that ever being a successful tactic,” said Rushin, who has studied Justice Department investigations of police departments. “They have to bite the bullet and figure out a way to come up with the money.”
For more, read “Justice Department Sues Ferguson Over Policing” and “Could Ferguson Win Its Case Against The Justice Department?”
Atticus DeProspo (1L) is one of 35 scholars selected for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the University of Cambridge.
The scholarship was established in October 2000 by a donation of $210 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge.
Scholarships are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
The scholars will be members of 28 academic departments in Cambridge and will study and research subjects ranging from the health implications of a sugar tax and the role of schools in preventing childhood obesity to antibiotic resistance, new treatments for cystic fibrosis and bat-borne viruses such as Ebola. Scholarships were awarded to 15 women and 20 men.
DeProspo was recently selected as a member of the inaugural class of Schwarzman Scholars. After his year in China as a Schwarzman Scholar, he will attend the University of Cambridge and pursue a one-year graduate degree.
UA Law Dean Mark E. Brandon (’78) has been named a fellow of the Alabama Law Foundation, which recognizes Alabama State Bar members who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their profession and their community.
The new fellows were honored at a banquet on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. Less than 1 percent of bar members are invited into the fellowship.
“The Fellows of the Alabama Law Foundation are selected from the ranks of the Alabama State Bar and represent our brightest and best,” said Joe Fawal, President of the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Law Foundation. “The fact that they are selected is in and of itself an honor. But the contribution that they make in defense of the poor in civil matters in Alabama is a much greater honor.”
In addition to Dean Brandon, Alabama Law alumni named as fellows were:
For more, read “Alabama Law Foundation Announces New Fellows.”
