Senator Richard Shelby (’63) received the 2019 Sam W. Pipes Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Alabama Law Alumni Society Banquet in Birmingham.
The award is given by The Law School Foundation to an outstanding alumnus who has distinguished himself or herself through service to the bar, The University of Alabama, and the School of Law. The award is named for the late Samuel Wesley Pipes (’38), who was a partner in the Mobile law firm of Lyons, Pipes & Cook until his death in 1982.
Before presenting the award, Dean Mark E. Brandon thanked Senator Shelby for his remarkable service.
Senator Shelby said during his acceptance speech that receiving the award was a “great honor.”
“I knew Mr. Pipes, somebody we all respected,” he said. “He was a pillar of the bar, a pillar of the legal profession, very well respected not only in Mobile but all over the state, someone who loved the law and loved the Law School.”
Shelby noted the Law School’s legacy and said it’s being perpetuated by Dean Brandon, students, faculty, and alumni. He said he often thinks about the Law School and the foundation of its legacy: honor, purpose, and justice.
“Put those together,” Shelby said. “That’s what you’re all about; that’s what we’re all about. That’s what we should be about. Thank you for this distinct honor tonight.”
Senator Shelby is the senior United States Senator from the State of Alabama. He was first elected to the Senate in 1986 and is currently in his sixth term. In April 2018, Senator Shelby became Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and its Subcommittee on Defense. He served as chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and remains a senior member on each of these committees. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.