On Sunday, May 7, The University of Alabama School of Law hosted the 2023 Alabama Law Commencement Ceremony at Coleman Coliseum. During the celebration, the School of Law awarded Juris Doctor Degrees to 121 students—including three J.D. students who took joint degrees in Business Administration or Social Work and nine J.D. students who also took an LL.M (Master of Laws Degree) in Taxation or Business Transactions. An additional 10 students were awarded LL.M degrees in Taxation or Business Transactions, and one student was awarded a Juris Masters Degree.
“You are talented and capable, each in your own unique way,” said Dean Mark E. Brandon to the graduates at the ceremony. “You have learned here much about the art and the craft of the profession of law. If I could wish anything for you, it would be not merely for success, though I do wish that for you. It would be that you use your talents – and the adversity you have faced – to make a difference in the lives of others. ”
The commencement address was given by Mike House (Class of 1971), founder of Oak Grove Strategies in Washington D.C. and former chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Alabama Law School Foundation. During his speach. House shared advice and insights with the students from lessons he has learned throughout his career.
“Your reputation is paramount to your success. . . It takes years to build, it takes time, it takes effort, it takes consistency,” said House. He then quoted Maya Angelou, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,’ and he expressed that the “impression others have of you . . . [is based on] how you treat others.”
Throughout the ceremony, reflections were offered by past president of the Student Bar Association, Blaize Naman—who will be earning a JD/MBA dual degree this fall—and 2023 valedictorian, Kat Oglesby. The National Anthem was performed by Angel Sims (Class of 2023).
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — William S. Brewbaker III has been named the next dean of The University of Alabama School of Law and will begin his tenure July 10.
Brewbaker currently serves as the William Alfred Rose Professor of Law with the School of Law.
“Professor Brewbaker is an exceptional legal scholar who is deeply committed to our state, our law school and our faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Jim Dalton, UA executive vice president and provost. “His aspirational vision positions him well to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead for legal education, and to lead Alabama Law to even greater heights.”
Brewbaker is a native of Montgomery, and a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He practiced law in Birmingham from 1986 to 1992, eventually leaving law practice to pursue a Master of Laws in health care law at Duke University.
Brewbaker became a full-time faculty member with the UA School of Law in 1993 and has taught courses in health care law, property law, antitrust and jurisprudence, as well as seminars in bioethics, law and economics, and Christian legal thought. His research interests include health care law and legal philosophy.
Brewbaker is co-editor of two books in Aspen’s Health Care Corporate Law series and has written law review articles dealing with health care antitrust, price regulation, physician unionization and managed care liability. He has also co-edited a leading law school casebook on Christian legal thought and has written numerous articles and book chapters examining theological perspectives on law.
An elected member of the American Law Institute, Brewbaker served as the School of Law’s associate dean for special programs in the 2011 and 2012 calendar years and as interim dean during the 2013-2014 academic year.
“I’m thrilled to have the privilege of serving as our School of Law’s next dean,” said Brewbaker. “I know first-hand the firm foundation on which we will be building, and I’m grateful to our University leadership for the strong support the law school enjoys. We have an accomplished and generous faculty, dedicated and capable staff, loyal and enthusiastic alumni leaders, and the most capable and diverse student body we’ve ever assembled.”
“Our goal will be to continue and improve upon our rich tradition of excellence in research, teaching and service to our profession, the state of Alabama and our nation. We want to provide an outstanding educational experience for every one of our students while they are in law school and great professional opportunities when they graduate. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
For more than 150 years, UA School of Law has produced attorneys who become leaders locally, nationally and globally. Alabama Law provides a top-rate education that results in enviable bar passage and employment rates, all within a supportive and diverse environment. Its low student-to-faculty ratio paired with robust curricular offerings draws students to study under faculty who are skilled teachers as well as leading researchers and scholars.
On April 5, before a large audience of law students and faculty members, The Alabama Supreme Court held a special session—an oral argument hearing—at The University of Alabama School of Law.
“The Supreme Court of Alabama was delighted to take our Court proceedings out of Montgomery and to Tuscaloosa to show the future lawyers at the University of Alabama School of Law our oral argument hearings in action,” said Chief Justice Tom Parker. “The Preamble of our Alabama Constitution identifies that the first purpose of the Constitution is to ‘establish justice.’ As we sought to establish justice in the case that was before our Court, our hope was that Alabama Law students would be educated by seeing our courts in action, and hopefully, also inspired to pursue and walk in the paths of justice in their forthcoming legal careers.”
Before the case began, observers were welcomed by Dean Mark E. Brandon, and the case was introduced by Alabama Law 3L, Govin Kaggal. This special session offered a unique opportunity for Alabama Law students to observe a hearing in front of the highest Court in the State of Alabama.
“All of our students participate in intramural moot court, and several have recently competed in regional and national moot court competitions. These opportunities simulate the experience of arguing before an appellate court,” said Mark E. Brandon, Dean and Thomas E. McMillan Professor of Law. “In observing this oral argument, they were able to see the appeals process in action before the Supreme Court of Alabama. We are grateful to Chief Justice Parker, the Associate Justices, and the Court’s staff for bringing this opportunity to Alabama Law for our students.”
Following the hearing and a lunch reception with Alabama Law students, several members of the Court took the time to serve as Judges for a practice round with members of the Alabama Law Carol Andrews ABA National Moot Court Team—providing the team encouragement and valuable advice before they left for the national finals of the elite ABA Competition in Washington D.C.
Professor Fredrick Vars was recently featured on Charlotte, NC’s NPR station in a segment titled “Talking to kids about guns and a look at solutions to gun violence”. Click here to listen to the full piece.
Professor Clare Ryan recently participated in the 2023 Chicago Law Review Symposium. She was chosen as one of the four “emerging scholars” by ALI Reporters to cover the topic “Children in Society”. This is the first year this program has been implemented.
The four emerging scholars served as moderators for the symposium and will be publishing essays in the Chicago Law Review Online to accompany the symposium issue, which will be published in Spring 2024.
Professor Joyce Vance was recently a guest on BBC’s America’s Podcast, The President in the Pub. Click this link to listen to her discuss what can happen when the legal system gets personal and why it could go as far as the Supreme Court, around the 24:50 mark.
Professor Luke Herrine was quoted in a USA Today article titled Supreme Court greenlights student loan forgiveness for defrauded borrowers. What’s next?
Professor Deepa Das Acevedo was awarded a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellowship for the 2024–25 academic year, during which she will be a visiting member of the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru.
Professor Russell Gold’s article, Paying for Prosecution, has been accepted for publication in volume 56 of the Arizona State Law Journal. His article The Public Voice of the Defender, has been accepted for publication in volume 75 of the Alabama Law Review (co-authored with Kay Levine).
Professor James E. Pfander of Northwestern Law School recently wrote a review on JOTWELL of Professor Heather Elliott’s Iowa Law Review article, Original Discrimination: How the Supreme Court Disadvantages Plaintiff States, identifying it as one of the best works of recent scholarships relating to courts law. To read the full review, click here.
