State Bar Publishes “From Power To Service: The Story Of Lawyers In Ala.”; Book Recounts Political & Social Influence

Montgomery, Ala., February 25, 2010 – A new book, "From Power to Service: The Story of Lawyers in Alabama," tracing the history of the legal profession in the Yellowhammer state, has been published by the Alabama State Bar. The $40 commemorative book chronicles the story of lawyers in the state's developing history.

The book opens in Mississippi Territory days with the appointment by President Thomas Jefferson of the first territorial judge in St. Stephens, the earliest settlement in what would become Alabama, and continues to present day Alabama, where the profession has grown to more than 16,000 members.

"For more than 200 years, the Alabama State Bar and its predecessors have shaped the development of the law, responded to the demands of a changing society and kept the public informed of its rights and responsibilities," said ASB President Thomas J. Methvin of Montgomery (Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.).

Written by Birmingham attorney and legal historian Pat Boyd Rumore, the 336-page book recounts the rich history of the profession. It includes the individual stories of politicians and statesmen, jurists, writers, humorists, educators, war heroes and civil rights advocates who were Alabama lawyers.

The book highlights federal jurists who helped end the segregated "southern way of life" by their decisions in cases brought by Alabama's great civil rights and civil liberties lawyers. The book also depicts the courage of women lawyers who opened the way for the expanded presence of women in the profession. It also deals with Alabama political history, which has been dominated by lawyers.

Holding political office was a natural outgrowth of a lawyer's place in the local community and in the state. Also, the book traces the movement toward expansion and diversification of membership and improved professional standards of education, practical training, and ethics, which are regulated by the Alabama State Bar as an arm of government to protect both the public and the profession.

The state bar is dedicated to improving the administration of justice and increasing the public understanding of and respect for the law. The values that guide the state bar are: Trust, Integrity and Service. The ASB has long served a dual role as an advocate for the profession and for the public. During the last few decades with the growing complexity of society and our legal system, the ASB's public role has gained both emphasis and breadth.

Methvin said, "Since its creation as a unified bar association, the ASB has initiated programs addressing a wide range of public concerns; from merit selection of judges to securing adequate funding for representing the poor and indigent; from ensuring that non-lawyers sit on disciplinary panels to encouraging the use of mediation as an alternative method of dispute resolution. State Bar positions play an influential role in determining public and social policy in state and national forums."

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Alabama Law Foundation and the Bench and Bar Historical Society.

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