More than 20 Alabama Law professors and former law enforcement officials asked the state to resume parole hearings and release very ill and older inmates who are at greater risk of serious sickness and death from COVID-19.
In a letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the signatories urged state officials to act before the virus spreads in state facilities.
For more, read:
“Alabama Legal Experts Urge State to Release Vulnerable Inmates Amid COVID-19 Outbreak”
“Coronavirus: Gov. Kay Ivey Urged to Expedite Alabama Paroles of Older Inmates Amid Outbreak”
Dear Friends,
First and foremost, I hope that you are – and will remain – healthy and safe during this challenging time.
As you may know, earlier this month The University of Alabama commenced limited operations on campus to mitigate the risk and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision benefits each member of our community and our loved ones, but continuing operations in a way that promotes safety requires adaptability and creativity.
Beginning today, our classes have resumed after an extended two-week Spring Break. We are teaching those classes online. They will remain online for the remainder of the semester. Next month, we will administer examinations, also online. Because of the unprecedented challenges that the virus has created, all of this semester’s courses will be graded on a Pass/D/Fail grading scale. Much of the legal academy is moving to a similar scale for this semester. I believe it is an appropriate response to the circumstances that schools across the country are facing.
Many of you have been a part of our strategic planning initiative. For this, I thank you. The initiative is important, and we shall complete this work to set Alabama Law’s course for the future. I want to let you know, however, that we are pausing the initiative until we are in a better position to collectively move forward. Expect more news on this front in the months ahead.
We will be doing our part to protect the health of all members of the Alabama Law community. But you should know that we will continue to carry out our primary mission – educating our students so that they may obtain their degrees, pursue their careers in law, and become outstanding members of a noble profession. Today, we might not be executing this mission in our classrooms. But Alabama Law has always been more than bricks and mortar. It is about an ethic of community, relationships, support, and achievement. This ethos animates everything we do. It has not changed, nor will it.
Our nation needs lawyers now, and it will need lawyers in the days after this virus has passed. Consistent with our best traditions, the lawyers who have graduated from Alabama Law will help to fill that need.
Thank you for supporting our Law School. Please take care of yourself. Look after your loved ones. Be good to one another. These are small things. But they are important, especially as we navigate together toward calmer waters.
With respect,
Mark
A letter written by Professors Jenny Carroll and Amy Kimpel to Governor Kay Ivey and other Alabama officials is quoted by AL.com. The letter outlines concerns about Alabamians who are in jails and prisons during the coronavirus pandemic.
For more, read:
“Alabama Defense Lawyers: Release Prison Inmates Most at Risk of Dying from Coronavirus”
Professor Ronald Krotoszynski writes an op-ed for The Atlantic about using vote-by-mail to save the 2020 election.
For more, read “Vote-by-Mail Can Save the 2020 Election.”
Professor Allyson Gold is quoted by The Appeal about calls for measures to protect renters during the coronavirus pandemic.
For more, read “To Stop the Spread of Coronavirus, California Officials and Attorneys Call for Eviction Bans.”
Announcement of Limited Business Operations
March 17, 2020
Dear Faculty and Staff,
Like other institutions around the world, our UA community faces unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciate each of you and your dedication to this great University. Together we will meet these challenges and continue our mission.
The extraordinary need for social distancing continues to be a focus of the guidance and recommendations from the CDC, ADPH and our own health officials. We recognize recent announcements, such as the closing of K-12 schools statewide, have far-reaching impact for our faculty and staff, including health and safety, and childcare concerns.
The quickly evolving situation has already prompted us to take substantial, proactive measures to ensure safety. I have been in close consultation with our human resources team, leaders across campus and the UA System Office to assess our operational needs in an effort to remain in front of this unprecedented situation.
As you know, The University of Alabama already maintains extraordinarily limited business operations during Spring Break. UA will continue to operate under limited business operations, which includes essential staffing and remote work assignments, for an additional week, beginning Monday, March 23, through Sunday, March 29. This plan may be extended beyond this time period and any decision to do so will be promptly communicated to the campus community.
UA has existing plans for business continuity, and the University’s colleges, divisions, departments and operating units should all be prepared to engage those plans. Our goal is to promote social distancing and limit on campus work to the fullest extent possible. Given these objectives, we anticipate most faculty will be able to work remotely while the vast majority of staff should fall into Staff Groups 2 or 3 noted below. Everyone is encouraged to explore the remote work tools available to all University employees to help achieve these objectives. Consistent with this, the following guidelines for all UA employees apply to this limited business operations plan.
FACULTY:
Faculty are asked to work remotely (if you are instructing online, do so from your home, not campus), and come to campus only if required (e.g. a critical administrative role, direct patient care or critical research responsibilities that require a physical presence on campus).
STAFF:
University staff members have been classified into three groups by their supervisors who will communicate their group assignments and expectations to each staff member by 5 p.m. Friday, March 20.
Staff Group 1 – Staff needed on campus/on site to continue mission-critical University work.
Staff Group 2 – Staff needed to continue their work, but who can do so from home.
Staff Group 3 – Staff not immediately required to work during a time of limited business, but who may be reclassified to Group 1 or 2 should critical business needs arise.
Group 1 staff should report to work on campus as normal (unless the employee is sick or has been in immediate contact with a person known to have COVID-19)with the following guidance:
Group 2 staff will work remotely with the following guidance:
Group 3 would not actively work.
This is a dynamic and fluid situation, and this plan is subject to change.
Please know these complex decisions are not easily made. In addition to guidance from federal and state health authorities, I know that each of you will be balancing concerns for your loved ones while adjusting your work responsibilities. Please don’t forget to take care of yourselves mentally and physically. Our employee assistance programprovides a tremendous resource, as does the University Medical Center. Employees with particular health concerns that impact their group designation should contact their supervisor.
These are difficult and dynamic times, and we will all face new experiences and unprecedented challenges. I know the strength of our campus community and the spirit that drives us all. Thank you for all you do and will do in the time ahead.
Sincerely,
Stuart R. Bell
President
Emily Raines, Brad Prosch, Jeff Rogers, and Hirshel Hall, all 3Ls, competed at the 28th Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in New York. Alabama Law students arrived at the Duberstein competition following solid preliminary rounds in the regional CKP Cup competition at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables.
The Duberstein competition is the premier bankruptcy moot court competition in the country. This year, 59 teams from more than 40 law schools competed in the preliminary rounds at St. Johns’ University School of Law in Queens, making the competition one of the largest single-site moot court competitions in the country.
Both teams performed well in preliminary rounds. Raines and Prosch competed against UNLV, Memphis, and the University of Miami, while Rogers and Hall faced Ole Miss, University of Texas and Baylor.
Both teams were designated top 16 teams and advanced to the octofinals, where the teams faced each other in the first round. During the second octofinal round, Raines and Prosch faced Notre Dame and Rogers and Hall faced Emory. Both teams performed well.
Rogers and Hall advanced to the quarterfinals which were held in Brooklyn at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York. Falling to Texas by what the bench described as a razor-thin margin, Rogers and Hall turned in very solid performances.
Rogers and Hall also were awarded Honorable Mention for Best Brief at the awards ceremony.
Professor Gary Sullivan (’96) served as faculty advisor, and Mark Williams (’84) coached the team.
Chisolm Allenlundy, Mary Parrish Cobb, Hamilton Millwee, Peyton Patterson, and Mary Katherine White, all 3Ls, turned in an outstanding performance at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The team competed in the Southeastern Regionals in New Orleans.
The team was a perfect 4-0 in the preliminary rounds and earned the number one seed going into elimination rounds. After a resounding victory against Lewis & Clark in the quarterfinals, the team faced Emory in the semifinals. Despite a flawless performance by UA, Emory advanced to the finals.
Although the close loss was heartbreaking, it did not overshadow the UA team’s overall success, which also included the award for the fifth-best memorial (the Jessup term for a brief) and individual oralist awards for Allenlundy, Cobb, and Millwee.
Professor Jenny Carroll is quoted by WBHM about voter access in Alabama. For more, read “Report Reveals Voter Access Difficult in Alabama.”
