This summer, six University of Alabama School of Law students spent their days in rural courtrooms in Scottsboro, Fayette, Union Springs, and Ozark, working alongside the judges and attorneys who serve rural Alabama, where one lawyer may cover the full sweep of a community’s legal work.
That is the purpose of the Finch Fellowship Initiative. The program places law students with judges and legal professionals across rural Alabama, giving them a close look at the range of matters a rural practice handles and the role an attorney plays in the life of a community.
Meet the 2025 Finch Fellows
Logan Knapp of Milton, Georgia, is a rising 2L and graduate of Georgia State University. He served as a Finch Fellow with Judge Sam Junkin in Fayette and plans to pursue a general practice after law school.
Abigail Tanner of Ozark, Alabama, is a rising 2L and summa cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama. She served as a Finch Fellow under Judge William Filmore in the 33rd Judicial Circuit.
Jensie Britt of Scottsboro, Alabama, is a rising 2L and summa cum laude graduate of Athens State University. She served under Judge John Graham in the 38th Judicial Circuit and valued the chance to learn about several areas of practice.
Sidney Gilley of Enterprise, Alabama, is a rising 2L and graduate of Auburn University. She served as a Finch Fellow under Judge Smithart in the 3rd Judicial Circuit during the first half of the summer and is spending the second half with the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program.
Llayne Skinner of Danville, Alabama, is a rising 2L and summa cum laude graduate of Mississippi University for Women, where she was a member of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College and the university’s volleyball team. She served under Judge Sam Junkin in the 24th Judicial Circuit.
Rachel Jenkins of Huntsville, Alabama, is a rising 2L and graduate of the University of Alabama. She served as a Finch Fellow with Judge John Graham in Scottsboro and plans to pursue a career in litigation after graduation.
The Finch Fellowship Initiative strengthens access to justice in rural Alabama and encourages talented law students to build careers in communities across the state. Through experiences like these, Fellows come away with a clearer sense of the impact lawyers have on the people, businesses, and institutions rural Alabama depends on.