According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, The University of Alabama School of Law ranks #2 among public law schools and #7 among all law schools based on the median debt-to-income ratio of its graduates. More information about this ranking is available in the Winter 2024 Issue of The National Jurist.
See also: Alabama Law Ranked #3 for Best Value Law School and Alabama Law Ranks #7 for Federal Clerkship Placements
On February 16, the Alabama Law Review hosted its 2024 symposium, Allen v. Milligan: The Intersectionality of Race, Elections, and Democracy, at The University of Alabama School of Law. This symposium explored the history of the Voting Rights Act—an Act with deep ties to the state of Alabama—and included panels of government officials, litigants, and academics who offered a wide variety of perspectives and deep analysis on the changing landscape of election law. Click here to read more about the symposium.
Recognition of gifts of $5,000+ over the past month
The Alabama Civil Justice Foundation contributed $25,000 to the Alabama Law Summer Scholars Program.
The estate of Robert W. Hodgkins (LL.B ’51, J.D. ’53) contributed $141,000 to the Robert W. Hodgkins Endowed Chair of Law.
Katherine Huffaker contributed $5,000 to the Huffaker Family Endowed Law Scholarship Fund in memory of her son, Matthew Lee Huffaker (’01).
William P. (’63) and Barbara S. Jackson contributed $50,000 to the William P. Jackson, Jr. and Barbara Seignious Jackson Endowed Scholarship Fund and $25,000 to the John Evans Jackson Scholarship Fund.
Robert Ellis Parsons (’57) contributed $5,000 to the Alabama Law Alumni Society Fund.
The following alumni and friends (not mentioned above) either made or renewed an annual giving contribution to the Alabama Law Alumni Society this past month.
Evan P. Baggett (’05)
Hon. Gray M. Borden (’05)
Thomas F. Campbell (’88)
Judy Whalen Evans (’75)
Oliver P. Head (’56)
J. Fredric Ingram, Sr. (’62)
P. Keith Lichtman (’01)
William M. Logan (’17)
Jon N. Loupe (’05)
William R. Lunsford (’00)
Justin H. Nolen (’19)
Richard J. Raleigh, Jr. (’95)
Jonathan E. Raulston (’01)
Michael W. Risley (’87)
M. Wesley Smithart (’20)
Cleveland Thornton (’71)
Andrew L. Todd (’19)
Halron W. Turner (’84)
Patricia C. Wallwork (’00)
Hon. Samarria M. Dunson (‘03) was named Montgomery Advertiser’s Community Hero for January.
Bingham D. Edwards, Jr. (‘96) was named secretary of Birmingham Business Alliance’s board of directors.
Bruce P. Ely (’80) was appointed to the board of regents of the American College of Tax Counsel.
Xeris E. Gregory (‘19) joined Polsinelli as an associate in Birmingham.
Marcus M. Maples (‘06) was named chair of Baker Donelson’s commercial litigation group in Birmingham.
Ashley Marshall (‘03) was sworn in as the city attorney for Enterprise, Alabama.
Beth W. Murphy (‘98) was named to The Institute’s Griffith Foundation’s advisory council in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Todd Panciera, Jr. (‘14) joined Polsinelli as an associate in Birmingham.
Kristin T. Parsons (‘02) was named vice president of human resources of AUSTAL USA in Mobile.
Jessica H. Pope (‘21) was named deputy athletics director for compliance at Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas.
James M. Proctor II (‘84) was named vice chair of public policy of Birmingham Business Alliance’s board of directors.
Shalyn Watkins (‘16) has joined Holland & Knight as a senior associate in Los Angeles.
The following alumni have joined Maynard Nexsen as associates in Birmingham:
Philip H. Boyd III (‘23)
Zachary L. Gillespie (‘22)
William B. Grimes (‘22)
Mollie E. Hughes (‘21)
John (Price) McGiffert, Jr. (‘22)
James (Whitt) Watts (‘23)
The following alumni have joined Polsinelli as shareholders in Birmingham:
Starr T. Drum (‘09)
Sarah S. Glover (‘11)
Adam V. Griffin (‘10)
Professor Montré Carodine was a panelist at the annual symposium of the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Professor Susan Donovan was appointed to a second term on the Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. She serves as the chair of the Public Education and School & Community Mediation Committee.
Professor Amy Kimpel was quoted in an Alabama Reflector article about death penalty appeals in Alabama.
Professor Joyce Vance was quoted in a New York Times article about the potential disqualification of Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis in her case against Donald Trump, and co-authored an article for NYU’s Just Security about the same topic.
Professor Vance also participated in a panel at the Brennan Center for Justice on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s decision on presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. She appeared along with University of Chicago Law School professor Aziz Huq, University of Maryland history professor Holly Brewer, and Michael Walden, President and CEO of the Brennan Center. Additionally, she conducted an interview with NYU Law professor Rachel Barkow on the administrative law docket for this Supreme Court term, and remained active on MSNBC and NBC.
Bills to enact Professor Fred Vars’ suicide prevention proposal, known as Donna’s Law, will be introduced in at least a dozen states this year, including Alabama. Another proposal from his book, Weapon of Choice (co-authored with Ian Ayres), has been enacted by several states, including New York and California.
