March 25th marked the 90-year anniversary of the arrest of nine black teenagers who were unjustly convicted for the rape of two white women on a train near Scottsboro, Alabama. In memoriam of this landmark case, several student organizations from the University of Alabama School of Law hosted a week of events beginning on March 23rd.
Blacks & Jews on Trial at Scottsboro
The first event was a virtual panel entitled “The Scottsboro Boys Shall Not Die: Blacks & Jews on Trial at Scottsboro” and was co-hosted by the Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA), the Jewish Law Students’ Association (JLSA), and the Student Bar Association (SBA). Speakers Denise Lynn, John Miller, and Andrew Baer paneled to discuss the ways both anti-black and anti-Semitic racism against their lawyers shaped the case of the Scottsboro nine. Connecting the experiences of the Scottsboro teens and their lawyers with the ongoing challenges minorities in the U.S. face today, the panel discussed the need for revolutionary police and government reform to overcome the systems of racism that remain in place.
Curtis Flowers: Wrongfully Imprisoned for 23 Years
Two days later, on the actual anniversary of the Scottsboro Nine’s arrest, BLSA and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at The University of Alabama School of Law hosted Curtis Flowers, a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years, and his attorney, Rob McDuff, to speak about Flowers’ imprisonment. After being tried an unprecedented six times, Flowers was falsely convicted of the murder of four people in the 1996 Winona, Mississippi Tardy Furniture Store shootings despite a lack of evidence—not to mention the numerous character testimonies and eyewitness statements offered in his defense.
In 2019, after several of his trials had been overturned due to insufficient evidence and racially biased jury tampering, a podcast called In the Dark discovered and brought national attention to Flowers’ case. In response, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch agreed to rehear the case, and on December 16, 2019, Flowers was released. Flowers received the maximum $500,000 in wrongful imprisonment pay from the state—though that payment is equivalent to less than half of the time Flowers served under the $50,000 per year Mississippi standard. Flowers and McDuff both feel justice was not served, and Flowers shared he looks forward to building a positive future as he continues speaking out against injustice in the legal system with the hope of preventing his experience from happening to anyone else.
Annual BLSA Banquet: The Butterfly Effect
To wrap up the week, BLSA hosted its annual scholarship banquet on March 25th. This year’s banquet theme was The Butterfly Effect: The Ripple in The Tide For Change, and BLSA used this theme to highlight those at the law school pushing to make a difference such as professors Bryan K. Fair and Anil Mujumdar. Professor Mujumdar was not only recognized at the event but he was also presented with the Gail K. Johnson Outstanding Attorney Award. This is an accolade voted on by the BLSA sponsors that is given to an attorney who has worked to improve the lives of minorities in the state of Alabama. Six BLSA members were the recipients of the organization’s student scholarships, 1Ls Ronnie Braxton, Amani Moore, and Layne Lightfoot, 2Ls Tiyonna Griggs and Natalie Daniel, and 3L Sheena Allen. The event was brought to a close with the announcement of the BLSA executive board for this upcoming year which includes president Brenita Softley, vice presidents Natalie Daniel and Amani Moore, secretary Tiyona Griggs, treasurer Trey Edwards, historian Raine Cook, parliamentarian Courtney Garret, community service chair Jaleel Washington, and diversity chair Hunter Jackson. Layne Lightfoot and Kyra Perkins were also recognized for their service on the scholarship and fundraising committee.
Written by: Heather Gann
Professor Allyson Gold published a piece titled “How Eviction Courts Stack The Deck Against Tenants” in The Appeal. The article provides an overview of the eviction process and points out the inequalities within the process that have led to an eviction crisis. Read the full article here.
Every year, The University of Alabama School of Law awards one fortunate student the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Tyler Smoot, an Alabama Law 3L student, has been the recipient of this scholarship for the past two years, and he credits the financial support of this endowment for enabling him to earn his law degree.
“I never would have been able to go to law school in the first place without my tuition being covered. I have a wife and two kids and because of this scholarship my kids are able to have food on the table and go to daycare while I earn my degree,” Smoot explained.
Smoot has a diverse educational background with degrees from both Baylor and Duke where he studied religion and divinity. He stated that he was motivated to apply to law school after working for several years with the Northcott Neighborhood House in Milwaukee—where he assisted adult students who were studying to earn their GED. He noticed that many of the students had criminal backgrounds and had gone directly from high school into the prison system. This inspired Smoot to start serving the public in a different way—through the study and practice of law.
Smoot said that he is grateful for his particular scholarship not only because of the financial assistance, but because it also helped him form a connection to a legendary figure in the state he now calls home.
Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. was a United States District Judge of Alabama and Alabama Law alum who became famous for his landmark civil rights rulings that attempted to end segregation and the unfair treatment of black southern citizens. Smoot described how he submitted a blanket application for all merit-based scholarships but was incredibly moved to be receiving one in dedication to a civil rights giant.
“He was making the right decisions when that wasn’t the easiest thing to do, and I sort of want to follow the same path so receiving this scholarship really made me feel connected to the state where I plan to live for the long haul,” Smoot described.
After Smoot’s graduation in May of this year, he plans to clerk with a federal judge in Birmingham, something Smoot says is a common path for law graduates in their first year. He is eager to work with Judge Karen Bowdre because of their shared interest in criminal justice reform. After his year clerking, Smoot hopes to lead a career in civil rights law, possibly with the Southern Poverty Law Center with whom he currently clerks. He also expressed gratitude for the scholarship board members that have met with him and said that they have been very forthcoming with offers for networking assistance post-graduation.
When speaking about his quickly approaching future, Smoot credited the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. scholarship with a large stake in setting him up for success. “Because of this scholarship, I can actually find a job in something I’m passionate about instead of settling for the first one I’m offered because I’m worried about my debt. I can focus on creating some positive change and I’m just really glad that someone, somewhere believed in me.”
Written by: Heather Gann
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If you would like to join in financially supporting the success of Alabama Law students, please consider making a donation to the Alabama Law Alumni Society, which provides resources for students in the form of scholarships, stipends for internships and externships, and other purposes that are central to our mission of training the very best lawyers for the 21st century.
On Friday, April 9, The White House announced that Alabama Law’s Charles E. Tweedy, Jr., Endowed Chairholder of Law and Director of the Program in Constitutional Studies, Tara Leigh Grove, has been selected as a Commissioner for the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States—which was formed by an executive order issued by President Biden.
Serving as a bipartisan group of experts on the Court and the debate over reforming the Court, the Commission consists of top legal and academic scholars from across the country, former federal judges, and leading legal practitioners.
According to a press release from The White House, “the Commission’s purpose is to provide an analysis of the principal arguments in the contemporary public debate for and against Supreme Court reform—including an appraisal of the merits and legality of particular reform proposals. The topics it will examine include the genesis of the reform debate; the Court’s role in the Constitutional system; the length of service and turnover of justices on the Court; the membership and size of the Court; and the Court’s case selection, rules, and practices.”
Professor Grove joined the University of Alabama School of Law in June of 2020. She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she served as the Supreme Court Chair of the Harvard Law Review. Grove clerked for Judge Emilio Garza on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and then spent four years as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Appellate Staff, where she argued fifteen cases in the courts of appeals. Grove has served as a visiting professor at both Harvard Law School and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Professor Grove’s research focuses on the federal judiciary and the constitutional separation of powers. She has published with prestigious law journals such as the Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, New York University Law Review, University of Chicago Law Review, Cornell Law Review, and Vanderbilt Law Review. In 2021, Professor Grove became the newest coauthor of the prominent federal courts casebook, Federal Courts and the Law of Federal-State Relations (9th ed.): 2021 Supplement (with Peter W. Low, John C. Jeffries, Jr., & Curtis A. Bradley). She has also received awards for both her research and her teaching, including the Walter L. Williams, Jr., Memorial Teaching Award and the Paul M. Bator Award.
Professor Jenny Carroll explains the the two main types of sedition for an article published in The Guardian. You can read the full article titled “Why aren’t we calling the Capitol attack an act of treason?” here.
Professor Joyce Vance was a guest on NPR’s flagship news program All Things Considered where she shared her thoughts on a questionable Alabama death row case. Read the full article recap titled “New Eyes On Alabama Death Row Case After Integrity Review Raises Questions” here.
Professor Fredrick Vars was quoted in the U.S. News & World Report article titled “The Fear Factor: How More Shootings Lead to More Guns.” The full article can be viewed here.
Professor Joyce Vance published her recent opinion piece on MSNBC.com titled “Biden’s first 11 federal judge nominees highlight a highly nuanced diversity.” While she is a former prosecutor, Professor Vance argues that the U.S. needs more public defenders on the bench. You can view the full article here.
Professor Bryan Fair was quoted by WVAU in an article that highlights the memory of Dr. Pauli Murray who is one of the many Black heroes of the 20th century. You can view the full piece titled “Women’s History Month: Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray is an Unsung Icon” here.
A Fulbright award is a prestigious accomplishment for any student. Each year more than 11,000 students apply and a mere 1,500 on average are granted this honor. This year, The University of Alabama was the only SEC university named a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright awards –an accomplishment UA has now achieved six years running.
Since 2015, UA has produced 82 Fulbright recipients —setting a personal record with 17 students being named Fulbright Finalists this year alone. Caroline Smith Dean, a 1L Alabama Law student, is one of these 2021 Fulbright awardees.
Read more about Dean’s Fulbright award here.
The University of Alabama School of Law is ranked 25th among the nation’s top law schools, both public and private, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Graduate Schools” rankings for 2022.
The U.S. News rankings of 193 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association are based on a weighted average of the 21 measures of quality–including a peer assessment score and an assessment score by lawyers and judges. Data were collected in fall 2020 and early 2021.
Susan Donovan, director of the Mediation Law Clinic at The University of Alabama School of Law, was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. In this position, Donovan will help lead the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Alabama. Her service began in February of 2021 and will run through December of 2023.
Kyra Perkins, a 1L Alabama Law student, was selected to join Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst, as a co-host on the Café Studios Podcast “Third Degree.” Perkins is the only 1L and one of just three law students from across the country who were selected for this honor—the other two selectees being Harvard Law and NYU Law students.
Read more about Perkins participation on “Third Degree” here.
Professor Bill Brewbaker contributed $5,437 to support Public Interest Summer Grants for students.
John Hollis Jackson (’66) pledged $250,000 with an initial payment of $50,000 to establish the John Hollis Jackson, Jr. and Rebecca M. Jackson Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Curtis O. Liles III (’73) gifted $10,000 to the Curtis O. Liles III Endowed Fund.
Nancy M. Melton contributed $20,000 through the Miller Charitable Foundation, Inc. for the William D. Melton Endowed Scholarship.
Professor Deepa Das Acevedo’s article, “Essentializing Labor Before, During, and After the Coronavirus Pandemic,” was published in Vol. 52 of Arizona State Law Journal.
Additionally, Professor Acevedo was featured in Cambridge NOW, the blog of Cambridge University Press, where she discussed her “wish-list” for the Biden Administration’s labor and employment policies.
On March 10, Professor Acevedo gave a virtual talk about her forthcoming book, “The Battle for Sabarimala, to the American Bar Foundation,” where she is a Visiting Scholar for the 2020–21 academic year.
World University News (Global Edition) published a story on critical race theory, highlighting Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic’s role in the development of this scholarly movement in the law. Drawing comparisons to Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the author shows how the movement lends a sharp edge to anti-colonial thought and perspectives and is catching on throughout the English-speaking world.
On Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021 Michelle Goldberg covered much the same events in the New York Times, but without the above-mentioned literary allusion. Her column dealt with former President Trump’s speech and Executive Order decrying the movement, citing Delgado’s work on hate speech in particular.
Social Science Research Network (SSRN) notified Delgado that his paper “Words That Wound: A Tort Action For Racial Insults, Epithets, And Name-Calling,” made a Top Ten download list for: Law & Society: Private Law – Torts. As of 17 March 2021, the paper had been downloaded 2,774 times.
In February, Professor Shahar Dillbary and his co-author, Professor Griffin Edwards of the Collat School of Business at The University of Alabama, Birmingham were named the Dukeminier Awards’ Stu Walter Prize winners for their co-authored article, “An Empirical Analysis of Sexual Orientation Discrimination,” 86 U. Chi. L. Rev. 1 (2019). The Dukeminier Awards are bestowed annually by The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law in recognition of the best law review articles concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. The study produced by Dillbary and Edwards is the first to empirically demonstrate widespread discrimination across the United States based on perceived sexual orientation, sex, and race in the mortgage lending process.
On March 2, the Israeli Supreme Court cited Professor’s Shahar Dillbary, Griffin Edwards and Fred Vars article, “Why Exempting Negligent Doctors May Reduce Suicide: An Empirical Analysis,” 93 Ind. L. J. 457 (2018). The article is the first to empirically analyze the impact of tort liability on suicide.
Professor Dillbary’s most recent article, “The Case Against Collective Liability,” was just published as the lead article in the Boston College Law Review. This theoretical article investigates the role of collective liability regimes including res ipsa and offers surprising insights and guidelines to courts, practitioners and policy makers.
Professor Dillbary’s experimental article, “Incentivized Torts: An Empirical Analysis” will appear in the Northwestern University Law Review (together with Cherie Metcalf and Brock Stoddard). Using a series of incentivized laboratory experiments, this peer-reviewed article empirically tests, and rejects, the assumption, that group causation theories deter wrongdoers. It also finds strong evidence that the but-for test operates in group causation settings (e.g., concurrent causes).
In January of this year, Professor Joyce Vance started a podcast called #SistersInLaw, which provides legal analysis on issues of current interest, along with three other lawyers: Jill Wine-Banks who was the only woman on the Watergate team, U Mich Law Prof Barb McQuade, and Boston Globe opinion columnist Kimberly Atkins. A new episode is released weekly on Friday afternoons and is already very highly rated.
Professor Vance also published op-eds in The Washington Post and USA Today, was a guest on Café Insider and Legal Talk Network, and was featured on MSNBC multiple times throughout the month.
The University of Alabama School of Law strives to remain neutral on issues of public policy. The Law School’s communications team may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Law School, the University, or affiliated leadership.
