Category: Law News
Deborah Johnson Wins 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction
For her work in The Secret of Magic, Deborah Johnson will receive the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The prize, authorized by Ms. Lee and co-sponsored by The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal, is given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of…
Professors Fair and Krotoszynski Weigh In On Gay Marriage Decision
UA Law Professors Bryan Fair and Ronald Krotoszynski provided perspective to AL.com about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that the Constitution requires same-sex couples be allowed to marry. “No more Jim Crow,” Fair said. “Finally, the Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot prohibit same-sex marriage, extending the fundamental right to marry to consenting adults…
Professor Carodine Discusses President Obama’s Comments About Race
Prof. Montre Carodine, who has written extensively on race relations, recently told The Washington Times President Barack Obama sparked a broader conversation on race when he used the N-word to show the country still has not overcome its legacy of racism. “We have to speak honestly and openly about the state of race relations and…
Professor Rushin Says Private Security Agencies Are Responsible To Those Who Pay Them
Professor Stephen Rushin recently told Marketplace.org that private security companies have limited accountability. “Those officers are the ones that most likely to execute an arrest, most likely to execute a search, most likely to interrogate the employees of a company,” he said. “They’re also the ones who are not actually regulated by most states’ law,…
Vice Dean Leonard Says Abercrombie Decision Provides No Clear Guidelines For Employers
In a guest column for The Tuscaloosa News, Vice Dean James Leonard argues the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Abercrombie & Fitch decision provides no clear guidance for employers about their obligations. “To avoid liability, employers must now initiate a dialogue with job applicants whenever there is a mere suggestion that a religiously mandated accommodation is…
Emeritus Professor Marsh To Direct University of Texas Athletics Investigation
University of Texas President Gregory L. Fenves has ordered an independent review of the university’s academic support system for athletics after several accusations of academic misconduct were made in a recent Chronicle of Higher Education story. Fenves said the review will be conducted by Gene A. Marsh, a retired UA law professor and former chair…
Gaines Brake Explains Power of Attorney
Gaines Brake, interim director of the Elder Law Clinic, recently explained how a power of attorney works to ABC 33/40 viewers. “It is a very powerful designation of authority,” Brake said. “A good estate plan probably should include a durable power of attorney and a healthcare power of attorney so that someone who perhaps…
Professor Hamill Sees Parallel Between Gov. Miller and Gov. Bentley
Professor Susan Pace Hamill recently told AL.com she sees a parallel between former Alabama Gov. Benjamin Meek Miller and Gov. Robert Bentley. Both were conservatives who promised no new taxes, and both presided over fiscal crises. “He (Miller) was not a progressive governor at all. He was kind of like what Gov. Bentley’s going through,”…
Law School Welcomes Professor Rushin
The Law School welcomes Stephen Rushin, assistant professor of law. Professor Rushin will teach Select Problems in Criminal Law: Policing in the fall. His research focuses on issues in criminal law, criminal procedure, information privacy law, and policing. He is currently working on a book entitled The Answer to Police Misconduct (in contract with the Cambridge…
Professor Rushin Says Los Angeles Police Department Shows Consent Decrees with U.S. Department of Justice Can Work
A consent degree similar to the one between the Cleveland Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice was successful in Los Angeles, said Professor Stephen Rushin, who has studied DOJ settlements with police departments. Los Angeles was supposed to be under consent decree for five years, but the process ultimately took 12 years before the…