Aleah Brown, Virginia Willis, and Simone Hampton
Simone Hampton, Aleah Brown, and Virginia Willis, students in the Criminal Defense Clinic at The University of Alabama School of Law, recently secured the early release of a woman who was subject to abuse and retaliation by prison staff while incarcerated at FCI Dublin in California.
The prison has been under investigation for some time, and at least eight of its employees have been charged with crimes against inmates who were housed at that facility. Additional prosecutions and lawsuits against the prison for its culture of sexual abuse have led to its recent closure.
After transferring to a facility in Alabama – just an hour away from the Law School – the client was referred to the Alabama Law Criminal Defense Clinic by the NGO Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM).
Throughout the Fall 2023 semester, the Clinic students spent over 300 hours researching new changes in applicable law, applying federal sentencing guidelines and factors, and writing a motion for compassionate release. In December 2023, under the direction of Professor Amy Kimpel, the clinic students filed a 300-page motion of legal arguments and supporting exhibits for their client’s early release. The prosecutor assigned to the case then did not oppose the release. In March, the judge in the case granted the motion, and the clinic team spent the next day supporting their client while she was released and later reunited with her family. She is now excited and inspired to enjoy her family, work a job, eat ice cream, and live her life for the better; the Clinic is very proud of her progress.
The following is a testimonial from lead student attorney Simone Hampton about what the students learned that they will take with them into practice:
“Working on this case offered me several invaluable lessons as a student attorney that I will take with me into my professional career. Aleah and I learned a lot about federal sentencing firsthand as this motion demanded our familiarity with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the sentencing factors of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). With Virginia’s insights, we prepared for our client’s re-entry into society by shopping for a prison-release care package while emphasizing choices for our client. And together, we navigated the most relevant skill: communication. We supported each other as we patiently and effectively emailed courthouses, planned with U.S. Bureau of Prisons personnel, and spoke with the client’s family. My ultimate takeaway from the experience is that there are various sacrifices that attorneys choose to make for their clients, but those sacrifices are well worth it because we are in such a powerful position to really change people’s lives. I am beyond proud and honored to be part of the legal team that gave our client freedom and justice.”
Click here to learn more about the clinics that are offered at Alabama Law.
Professor Russell Gold was recently selected to participate in the inaugural UA Faculty Fellows Program presented by the UA Teaching Academy. The competitive two-year program provides opportunities for networking, scholarship, professional development and mentorship. The program is designed to foster a standard of excellence within the faculty at The University of Alabama.
To learn more about the UA Faculty Fellows Program, click here.
Professor Shalini Bhargava Ray received UA’s President’s Faculty Research Award at the annual Faculty Research Day on April 22. The award recognizes outstanding research/creative productivity and scholarship. Ray was named as one of three “emerging scholars” across the University of Alabama.
During its annual spring banquet, the Executive Board of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at Alabama Law announced that it has unanimously voted to rename its chapter the Bryan K. Fair Black Law Students Association. Professor Fair, who is the Thomas E. Skinner Professor of Law at Alabama Law, has served (and continues to serve) as the BLSA chapter advisor more than 30 years.
“It was important to me and the 2023-2024 Executive Board to not wait in honoring Professor Fair and his commitment to our chapter,” said Camdyn Neal, chapter president. “This designation will ensure that Professor Fair’s unparalleled sacrifice and service to achieve justice will shape the future of the Bryan K. Fair BLSA Chapter for generations of law students.”
Professor Fair’s early ties to BLSA trace back to his own experience as a law student at UCLA in the 1980s.
“BLSA was important in my life and success in law school forty years ago,” said Fair. “It has been a privilege and pleasure to serve as the chapter advisor at Alabama Law. I am grateful for and deeply touched by this honor.”
Throughout his career, Professor Fair has been recognized at Alabama for his devotion to students, his excellence in teaching and scholarship, and his contributions to the Law School environment. Because of these attributes, Professor Fair has been honored multiple times by his students as the SBA Outstanding Faculty Member Award recipient. He has also been awarded The University of Alabama’s Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award by the UA National Alumni Association.
After making the announcement at the banquet, Neal expressed great appreciation on behalf of the newly named Bryan K. Fair Black Law Students Association, “Thank you, Professor Fair, for who you are, what you have taught us, and what you continue to teach us.”
View additional photos from the banquet on the Law School’s Flickr gallery.
Story written & edited by Callie Jackson and Josh Bird
Swapanthi Mandalika-Reeves, whose academic journey began as a high school dropout, shares how service to others helped her overcome her own challenges and changed the trajectory of her career. In late 2023, Swapanthi received the Women’s White Collar Defense Association’s (WWCDA) Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Outstanding Law Student Award–a national honor granted to one law student each year who best exemplifies Justice Ginsburg’s commitment to excellence, resilience, and perseverance.
Soon to be a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law (Class of 2024), Swapanthi has been named valedictorian of her class, received 13 best paper awards in her courses, and dedicated more than 230 hours to mentoring other law students during her 2L & 3L years through the Alabama Law Academic Success Fellows Program. Upon graduation, Swapanthi has committed to clerkships in both the Northern District of Alabama and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She has also been offered a full-time position at the firm Latham & Watkins in Washington D.C. for employment upon completion of those clerkships.
She and her husband also recently welcomed a baby boy into their family. Watch the video above to hear her story. Read more about Swapanthi on the Alabama Law website: https://www.law.ua.edu/blog/news/3l-swapanthi-mandalika-awarded-wwcdas-justice-ginsburg-outstanding-law-student-award/
Video produced by Savannah Kelly and Josh Bird
Video footage courtesy of WWCDA
With heavy hearts, the Alabama Law community mourns the passing of our alumnus, colleague, and friend—Bob Prince (Class of 1974).
In addition to his role as senior partner at Prince Glover Hayes P.C., Bob served as an adjunct professor at the Law School where he taught and coached Trial Advocacy for 40 years. Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor by the Board of Governors of the Law School Foundation for his long-standing service to the Law School and its students.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his colleagues and loved ones. We will miss him greatly.
Professor Yonathan Arbel co-authored an essay in Lawfare about artificial intelligence regulation, and was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article about the impact of ChatGPT on contract law. Read the Lawfare essay by clicking here, and the Bloomberg Law piece here.
3L Caroline Hall had two articles accepted for publication this semester. Her paper, Finfluencing, has been published in the Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report. You can read the full piece on SSRN here.
Professor Luke Herrine recently commented on the status of President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan in Business Insider. Click here to read the full article.
Professor Daiquiri Steele was awarded of Volunteer of the Year by the Birmingham Business Journal at their 2024 Nonprofit Awards for her service to Girls Inc. of Central Alabama. Girls Inc. “inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold” through programming designed to benefit every aspect of their life.
To learn more about Professor Steele’s work and her award, follow this link.
