Important News
Notice of Election and Electronic Balloting
Notice is given here pursuant to the Alabama State Bar Rules Governing Election and Selection of President-elect and Board of Bar Commissioners.
Bar commissioners will be elected by those lawyers with their principal offices in the following circuits:
2nd Judicial Circuit
4th Judicial Circuit
6th Judicial Circuit, Place 2
9th Judicial Circuit
10th Judicial Circuit, Place 1
10th Judicial Circuit, Place 2
10th Judicial Circuit, Place 5
10th Judicial Circuit, Place 8
10th Judicial Circuit, Place 9
12th Judicial Circuit
13th Judicial Circuit, Place 2
15th Judicial Circuit, Place 2
15th Judicial Circuit, Place 6
16th Judicial Circuit
18th Judicial Circuit, Place 2
20th Judicial Circuit
23rd Judicial Circuit, Place 2
24th Judicial Circuit
27th Judicial Circuit
29th Judicial Circuit
38th Judicial Circuit
39th Judicial Circuit
Additional commissioners will be elected in circuits for each 300 members of the state bar with principal offices therein as determined by a census on March 1, 2012 and vacancies certified by the secretary no later than March 15, 2012. All terms will be for three years.
Nominations may be made by petition bearing the signatures of five members in good standing with principal offices in the circuit in which the election will be held or by the candidate’s written declaration of candidacy. PDF or fax versions may be sent electronically to:
Keith B. Norman
Secretary, Alabama State Bar
P. O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101
Fax: (334) 517-2171
Either paper or electronic nomination forms must be received by the secretary no later than 5:00 p.m. on the last Friday in April (April 27, 2012).
As soon as practical after May 1, 2012, members will be notified by e-mail with a link to the Alabama State Bar that includes an electronic ballot. Members who do not have Internet access should notify the secretary in writing on or before May 1 requesting a paper ballot. A single written request will be sufficient for all elections, including run-offs and contested president-elect races during this election cycle. Ballots must be voted and received by the Alabama State Bar by 5:00 p.m. on the third Friday in May (May 18, 2012). Election rules and petitions are available.
At-Large Commissioners
At-large commissioners will be elected for the following place numbers: 1, 4 and 7. Petitions for these positions which are elected by the Board of Bar Commissioners are due by April 1, 2012. A petition form to quality for these positions is available.
Alabama Lawyers’ Hall of Fame
The Alabama State Bar will receive nominations for the 2011 honorees of the Alabama Lawyers’ Hall of Fame through March 1, 2012. The two-page form should be completed and mailed to:
Samuel A. Rumore
Alabama Lawyers’ Hall of Fame
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101
2010
Edgar Thomas Albritton (1857–1925)
Henry Hitchcock (1792–1839
James E. Horton (1878–1973)
Lawrence Drew Redden (1922–2007)
Harry Seale (1895–1989)
2009
Francis Hutcheson Hare Sr. (1904–1983)
James G. Birney (1792–1857)
Michael A. Figures (1947–1996)
Clement C. Clay (1789–1866)
Samuel W. Pipes, III (1916–1982)
2008
John B. Scott (1906–1978)
Vernon Z. Crawford (1919–1985)
Edward M. Friend, Jr. (1912–1995)
Elisha Wolsey Peck (1799–1888)
2007
John Archibald Campbell (1811–1889)
Howell T. Heflin (1921–2005)
Thomas Goode Jones (1844–1914)
Patrick W. Richardson (1925–2004)
2006
William Rufus King (1776–1853)
Thomas Minott Peters (1810–1888)
John J. Sparkman (1899–1985)
Honorable Robert S. Vance (1931–1989)
2005
Oscar W. Adams (1925–1997)
William Douglas Arant (1897–1987)
Hugo L. Black (1886–1971)
Harry Toulmin (1766–1823)
2004
Dean Albert John Farrah (1863–1944)
Frank M. Johnson, Jr. (1918–1999)
Annie Lola Price (1903–1972)
Arthur Davis Shores (1904–1996)
Judicial Award of Merit
The Board of Bar Commissioners of the Alabama State Bar will receive nominations for the state bar’s Judicial Award of Merit through March 15, 2012. Nominations should be mailed to:
Keith B. Norman, secretary
Board of Bar Commissioners
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101-0671
The Judicial Award of Merit was established in 1987. The award is not necessarily an annual award. It must be presented to a judge who is not retired, whether state or federal court, trial or appellate, who is determined to have contributed significantly to the administration of justice in Alabama. The recipient is presented with a crystal gavel bearing the state bar seal and the year of presentation.
Nominations are considered by a three-member committee appointed by the president of the state bar, which then makes a recommendation to the board of bar commissioners with respect to a nominee or whether the award should be presented in any given year.
Nominations should include a detailed biographical profile of the nominee and a narrative outlining the significant contribution(s) the nominee has made to the administration of justice. Nominations may be supported with letters of endorsement.
Changes to Client Security Fund Annual Assessment
The Client Security Fund was established by the Alabama Supreme Court to provide a remedy for clients who have lost money or other property as a result of the dishonest conduct of Alabama lawyers. The Alabama State Bar recognizes that the legal profession depends on the trust of clients and although few attorneys breach that trust, it is important that the profession's reputation for honesty and integrity be maintained and protected. The Client Security Fund serves this function by providing grants to clients whose money or property was wrongfully taken by an Alabama lawyer. On January 14, 2011, the Supreme Court of Alabama adopted the following rule changes:
–The Alabama State Bar is authorized to assess each lawyer who on January 1 of each year holds a current business license to practice law, as required by Ala. Code 1975, §40-12-49, an annual fee of $25.
–Any person admitted to practice in the State of Alabama who upon attaining the age of 65 years, has elected to retire from the practice of law, shall be exempt from any assessment under these rules.
–The Alabama State Bar is authorized to assess each lawyer who on January 1 of each year holds a special membership to the Alabama State Bar, as provided by Ala. Code 1975, § 34-3-17, an annual fee of $25.
–The Alabama State Bar is authorized to assess each lawyer who on January 1 of each year is registered as authorized house counsel, pursuant to Rule IX of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar, an annual fee of $25.
–The Alabama State Bar is authorized to assess each lawyer admitted pro hac vice pursuant to Rule VII of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar, a fee of $25 per application.
–The Alabama State Bar is authorized to assess each lawyer who on January 1 of each year is disbarred, suspended, placed on disability inactive status or otherwise inactive an annual fee of $25, which shall be paid as a condition of reinstatement of the lawyer's license to practice law.
–A lawyer who fails to pay by March 31 of a particular year the assessed annual fee pursuant to Rule VIII shall be deemed to be not in compliance with these rules. Such a lawyer is subject to suspension pursuant to Rule 9 of the Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure.
–Applications for pro hac vice admission pursuant to Rule VII of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar shall not be approved unless accompanied by the assessed fee as provided in Rule VIII of these rules.
This month, a notice will be sent to all bar members advising of the rule changes. In January 2012, members will receive an invoice notice by e-mail with payment instructions. Members who do not have an e-mail address will receive an invoice by regular mail. The full text of the Alabama State Bar Client Security Fund Rules is available.
