EVENTS & NEWS
SBA Faith & Politics Forum
On October 28th, the law school hosted the 2008 Faith and Politics Summit featuring U.S. Representative Artur Davis and Dr. Randy Brinson of the Alabama Christian Coaltion. The event featured questions from a distinguished panel: Ken Hare of the Montgomery Advertiser, Bob Martin of the Montgomery Independent, and Professor Andy Olree. SBA President Reid Strickland moderated the discussion.
The law school appreciates Representative Davis' and Dr. Brinson's insight on how people of faith should approach political decisions. Furthermore, the law school extends it gratitude to the panel who offered excellent questions and to the Student Bar Association for organizing the forum.
Public Service Day 2008
On Saturday, October 25, JSL students and faculty put down their pens and laptops and picked up hammers and paint brushes. In conjunction with "Make a Difference Day," the law school partnered with Rebuilding Together of Central Alabama to help area residents with much needed home repairs.
Rebuilding Together is a national volunteer organization that assists low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, with home repair. Formerly known as Christmas in April, the organization has assisted in the repair of more than 31,000 homes across the nation. Rebuilding Together of Central Alabama assists residents of Montgomery, Elmore, and Autauga counties.
The law school appreciates all who participated in this worthy cause. You may click here to view more photographs of the day.
National Pre-Trial Advocacy Competition
2nd Place Finish
Pictured from left to right: Professor Rob McFarland, Matthew Huggins, Justin Seamon, Steven Wilson, Blaire Wood and Professor Matt Vega
Congratulations to Matthew Huggins, Justin Seamon, Steven Wilson and Blaire Wood for finishing in second place at the National Pre-Trial Advocacy Competition. The event was held at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida on October 3-4. Professor Matt Vega coached the team. The team bested Baylor, Mississippi College and South Texas before losing to LSU in the final round. Students in the Advocacy Programs continue to perform brilliantly and this is a great start to our inter-school advocacy competition schedule.
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Patricia M. Smith Visits Law School
The SBA's Seminar Committee and Board of Advocates hosted its first speaker series featuring Justice Patricia Smith on October 1. Justice Smith is serving her first term as Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and she is a 1976 graduate of Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. In 1980, Governor Fob James appointed her as District Court Judge in Shelby County and she was re-elected to the Bench in 1986, 1992, and 1998. She won election to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2004.
Alabama Bar Pass Rate
The law school congratulates its recent graduates for achieving a 93.5% bar passage rate for first time takers on the Alabama State Bar Examination. Graduates continue to perform brilliantly on the exam.
4th Annual Fred Gray Sr., Civil Rights Symposium
The Ernestine S. Sapp Chapter of the Black Law Students Association together with the American Constitution Society and the Jones Law Review will host the 4th Annual Fred Gray Sr., Civil Rights Symposium on Wednesday, October 22. The topic of the symposium is entitled Immigration: How Illegal Immigration Impacts Public Policy in the United States and Alabama.
Participants in the symposium will be: Fred Gray, Sr. – Senior Partner for Gray, Langford, Sapp, McGowan, Gray & Nathanson; Congressman Artur Davis; Mickey Pledger – I.C.E. Director for Middle and Southern Alabama; Roosevelt Freeman – Regional Manager for the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region IV (Atlanta); Gayle DeJong – State Coordinator for English Language Learners at the Alabama State Department of Education; Andrew Turner – Southern Poverty Law Center; Shay Farley – Alabama Appleseed; and Charles Campbell – Former Deputy Chief Counsel to Senator Jeff Sessions and Associate Professor of Law at Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.
J. Greg Allen Mock Trial Competition
Pictured from left to right: Allen Howell, Mr. Greg Allen and Stephen Frisby
On August 22-25, the School of Law hosted the 5th Annual J. Greg Allen Intra-School Mock Trial Competition. Congratulations are extended to Stephen Frisby and Allen Howell for finishing as 2008 Champions. Katie Langer and Alfred Norris were tournament finalists and Roland Salloum was named the Best Advocate for accumulating the highest individual scores during the competition. Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Judge Tommy Bryan served as the bench judge during the final round with ten other distinguished attorneys serving as scoring judges.
The law school recognizes the hard work of the Board of Advocates for organizing this event. Further congratulations are extended to all of the guest judges who served throughout the tournament as well as to all of the students that participated.
The Greg Allen tournament kicks off the Advocacy Program's competition season. Students in their second and third year will compete in numerous inter-school trial advocacy, mediation and moot court tournaments in 2008-09.
