In July, the Law School hosted receptions in Mobile and Point Clear to honor Robert L. “Bob” McCurley Jr. (’66) and Irving Silver (’65) as 2026 inductees into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor. Established in 2020 by the Law School Foundation Board of Governors, the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor recognizes the outstanding achievements of Alabama Law alumni and faculty.
These celebrations complete the 2026 class of Alabama Law Alumni Award recipients. Earlier in the Spring at a reception in Birmingham, Paula W. Hinton (’79) received the Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumna Award with Penny A. Davis (’78) and Curtis Liles (’73) being inducted into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor. Caroline S. Milner (’18) received the Rising Young Attorney Award at a reception in Washington DC.
View all of the 2026 Alabama Law Alumni Award Recipients
With the 2026 season now complete, the Alabama Law Alumni Society and Board of Governors are accepting nominations for the 2027 Alumni Awards.
Robert L. McCurley Jr. (Class of 1966)
A Gadsden native, Bob McCurley received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from The University of Alabama before earning his JD from Alabama Law in 1966 as a member of Order of the Coif.
Mr. McCurley served as Director of the Alabama Law Institute (ALI) from 1975-2011, where he oversaw major statutory revisions and facilitated the adoption of numerous laws. Under his leadership, ALI began providing support for legislative committees and established training programs for elected officials. He has published numerous books on law and government, and led a two‑year drafting project for the Constitution Revision Commission.
Mr. McCurley has been a dedicated mentor and educator for generations of students. For over four decades, he has served as an adjunct faculty member at Alabama Law and has taught in UA’s Honors College. In recognition of his years of dedication to The University of Alabama, Mr. McCurley received the E. Roger Sayers Distinguished Service Award in 2005.
Mr. McCurley is a life member of the American Law Institute and the Uniform Law Commission, and is a fellow of the American Bar Association, the Alabama State Bar, and the Council of State Governments. He previously served on the board of the National Conference of State Legislatures and as president of the Kiwanis International Foundation. Mr. McCurley has received both the Walter P. Gewin Award and Bar Commissioner’s Award from the Alabama State Bar, and he was named a Pillar of the Bar by the Tuscaloosa County Bar Association. He is married to Babs, and they have a daughter, Leah.
Mr. McCurley will be celebrated during the Alabama Law alumni reception at the Alabama State Bar annual meeting in July.
Irving Silver (Class of 1965)
A native of Holyoke, Massachusetts, Irving Silver’s path to Alabama began during his service in the US Air Force on Mississippi’s gulf coast. Mr. Silver met his wife, Frances Grodsky, during a visit to Mobile for Shabbat services. They married 18 months later and moved to Florida, where Mr. Silver completed his military service at Eglin Air Force Base.
The Silvers then relocated to Tuscaloosa, where Mr. Silver earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama in 1964 before graduating from Alabama Law the following year. He began his legal career in Mobile as in‑house counsel for a multistate financial services company before entering private practice. Mr. Silver now serves as President of Silver, Voit, Garrett & Watkins, a Fairhope-based law firm, and has been a trusted advisor to families, businesses, and charitable organizations for over 60 years. He has been recognized as an Accredited Estate Planner® and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Special Needs Alliance.
In addition to his legal work, Mr. Silver has served as a leader for numerous local and state civic organizations and in the Jewish community, including as chair of the B’nai B’rith Foundation. He also played a key role in establishing the Alabama Law Foundation’s endowment and its Atticus Finch Society.
The Silvers have generously invested in Alabama Law through the Silver Faculty Scholar Support Fund, which supports the research efforts of junior faculty. Mr. Silver also serves on the Law School’s Capital Campaign Committee. He and his wife, Frances, are the proud parents of Hedy and Evan, and grandparents of Jill, Scott, Adam, Eric, and Dylan.