Jefferson County Coordinated Community Response
4628 Montevallo Road
Montevallo, AL 35210
(205)492-7304 / 

Allison is a 2000 graduate of Cumberland School of Law and has a BA in Political Science from Samford University. She is the director of Jefferson County Coordinated Community Response and practices in the area of Domestic Relations.

Before accepting the position with JCCCR, Allison worked as a staff attorney for Legal Services Alabama, Inc. She is currently co-chair for the Alabama State Bar Domestic Violence Committee, Family Law Section, and is a member of International Association of Collaborative Professionals, Birmingham Collaborative Alliance, Jefferson County DHR Quality Assurance Committee, Human Trafficking Task Force – US Attorney’s Office, Northern District, Domestic Violence in the Workplace Committee – Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Safety Work Group – Jefferson County Children’s Policy Council, as well as a Sunday School teacher at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church.

The attorney who recommended Allison said, “Quite frankly, as I will explain further below, Allison already exemplifies the ultimate goal of the Forum – the use of legal skill and talent to improve the community. I have known Allison personally and professionally for over six years. On a personal note, I will say Allison was the very first to call and bring food (a true Southerner’s love offering) when my youngest son was unexpectedly hospitalized one Christmas Eve. I mention this to share with you upfront that Allison’s keen intellect and unparalleled communication skills are coupled with one of the biggest hearts around. To me, this is what sets Allison apart. She is capable of practicing in any area with any firm. She can navigate political waters with rare consensus-building diplomacy. She is charismatic and credible. Yet, at the core of all she does personally and professionally is a rare unjaded compassion for others. On a professional note, I have observed Allison exhibit leadership through her work as the Director of the Jefferson County Family Violence Coordinated Community Response organization. Not only is this her current job, but the existence of this organization is her brainchild. As a Staff Attorney with Legal Services, Allison came to understand the disjointed manner in which victims of domestic violence receive assistance from law enforcement, social services and the legal community. Rather than stand idly by, Allison started a dialogue with key stakeholders that eventually led to the creation of the Coordinated Community Response for Jefferson County. As the director of that organization, Allison has, in four short years, greatly improved the way in which the courts, law enforcement and applicable social service agencies provide support to victims of domestic violence. She gives tirelessly to numerous professional groups, her church and her beloved college, Samford University. Allison’s involvement with alumni and mentoring programs at Samford, in particular, is one more example of Allison’s servant heart. Finally I would be remiss if I did not mention Allison is a devoted wife and mother and accomplished musician. She juggles her professional and personal endeavors with an ease that make the rest of us jugglers a tad bit jealous.”

In her own words, Allison says, “In 2007, while practicing at Legal Services Alabama, I was presented with a unique opportunity to use my legal knowledge and advocacy skills outside the courtroom. I had been actively practicing law for six years when I became involved with an interdisciplinary coalition comprised of judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers, and executive directors of organizations seeking to enhance the Birmingham community’s response to domestic violence. The day that I moved from volunteer committee member to paid staff for the newly formed Coordinated Community Response, I was placed in a position of leadership among leaders for whom I had developed great respect and admiration. And, thus, began my pursuit to determine whether I possessed the necessary skills to lead a group of leaders. Four years of college, numerous internships and clerkships, three years of law school, and six years of practicing law: Didn’t I know myself well enough to be a confident leader? What I found is that I was starting from the beginning and everything was new. It was challenging, transformative, and fulfilling all at once. I am seeking a forum to engage with other lawyers, to reflect on what I have already learned about leadership, and to further assess my own personal strengths as a leader. I also recognize that, while I have enjoyed the opportunity to use my legal skills in the public policy work and to encourage systems change through an interdisciplinary process, I have missed the camaraderie of those in my own profession. Last week, I had the (unfortunate) experience of someone saying to me, ‘You’re a lawyer—but I like you!’ It was most likely a genuine attempt on the part of the speaker to pay a compliment to me, but instead, it fell flat. Working for the last four years with lawyers and non-lawyers has provided me new insight and perspective on how we as lawyers are perceived in the community. I want to be a part of celebrating the good work-and the good name-that is reflective of outstanding work being done by lawyers around the state. The commonalities we share are based on a belief that every person has a voice, and no voice should be silenced. Injustice is effectively the silencing of a voice. I went to law school to learn skills necessary to effectively advocate for one whose voice has been silenced. Advocating for my clients soon led beyond the courtroom and into the complexity of the larger systems that have the potential to empower individuals, but often silence their voices. While my role as an advocate continues to evolve, what remains is that clear, distinct goal to raise a voice in the face of injustice. At Legal Services Alabama, I had the opportunity to supervise interns and law students, and to help me catch a glimpse of life in ‘the real world.’ It kept me on my toes to have a student follow me to court! I took that seriously, recalling the significance of my own experiences as a student. In a sense, by applying to the Leadership Forum, I am seeking to be a student again: to be mentored by others, to reflect on previous experiences so I might gain insight for the future, and to recommit myself as a member of a very worthwhile profession.”