Capell & Howard, P.C.
150 South Perry Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
(334)241-8034 /  

Chad graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama School of Law in 2003, and also graduated summa cum laude with a BA in History and English from The University of Alabama in 2000. Honors he received include Order of the Coif, the M. Leigh Harrison award, Hugo L. Black Scholar, editor of the Alabama Law Review, and Honor Court Justice. He is a Shareholder at Capell & Howard where he practices Civil and Appellate Litigation.

Previous honors include Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Outstanding Senior Award, Kenneth J. Tobola Outstanding Research Award, Randall Undergraduate Research Award, and the Charles Grayson Summersell History Award.

The person who recommended Chad said, “Mr. Bryan is a bright, gifted, insightful and visionary young man of exceptional ability. His genuine regard for people and his skill in relating to different people groups combined with a keen intellect and commitment to excellent work in his profession would render him a truly valuable member of the Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum. Ever eager to learn and grow, Chad would greatly benefit from the Forum discussions by gleaning the insights of other Forum members. He knows the skillful art of deferring when he should while keeping true to his own convictions and deeply-held principles.”

In his own words, Chad said, “During a recent doctor’s visit, the receptionist asked me to review the accuracy of various information contained within my file. As I undertook the process of confirming my name, address, and other basic data, I came across an entry that seemed strikingly out of place” ‘33/w/m.’ Sure, the ‘w/m’ was accurate, but the ‘33’? Although lawyers generally are not known for their acumen in math, even I could compute that 2011 was in fact 33 years from 1978; nonetheless, seeing those side-by-side 3s in black and white hit me in a way that 32, 31, and even 30 had not. For the first time, I was taken aback by the reality that my adulthood had crept up on me and, even more so, by the haunting question “what…was…I…doing…with…it?” Having come of age in an era filled with material abundance, including an unprecedented access to college and post-graduate education, perhaps it is not surprising that my generation has enjoyed a period of extended adolescence where ‘adulthood’ continually seems to exist somewhere just beyond the horizon. Indeed, that horizon appeared to remain static as I graduated from high school, then from college, and then from law school. It likewise appeared well in the distance after I began my legal career, and even after my wedding. To draw upon a football analogy, there was a lot of movement going on horizontally in my life but little progress was being made downfield. To understand how this could happen, it is necessary to delve deeper into the years that preceded my thirty-third. I would characterize my younger life as being that of a hyper-focused student. Education was of utmost importance to my parents, particularly my mother. She was the first in her family to attend college and viewed education as the great equalizer that would allow her children to avoid the very difficult circumstances she had experienced during her own childhood. She subsequently worked to put my father (who was also raised in a relatively poor, rural household) through college to further insure that their children could enjoy opportunities which far exceeded what had been known to them. Even at a young age, I had a conscious appreciation that my circumstances were not the same as those of my first cousins – and that the difference was due primarily to education. Thus, when it came time for me to enter school, I did what I knew my parents had done – I studied. But the academic journey for me was different from that of my parents. Mine was much easier. As long as my grades were sufficient, I was coddled. The remainder of my life was made very simple. All I needed to do was study; so study I did. I resolved to be valedictorian in hopes of receiving a scholarship to college. I then resolved to obtain the highest undergraduate distinction in hopes of receiving a scholarship to law school. I then resolved to graduate law school with such a record that would permit me to join the firm of my choice. Once those goals had been checked off, my singular resolve was to outwork and outperform. In my eight short years in this profession, I have been blessed with opportunities that often take much longer to experience – if they come at all. I do not share this account as a means to tout any past accomplishments. To the contrary, I share it to note what is missing. My path was rendered extremely straight and smooth by the efforts of my parents. In short, I am a product of their leadership and not of my own. And, to some extent, until I saw that ‘33’ staring me in the face, it was still my parents (and their generation) whom I viewed as the adult figures in my life. All of my pursuits had been superficial and, regrettably, had been done for my own selfish benefit. So too had I been content to enjoy the professional fruits for which others had toiled. I did not build the reputation of my law firm, and I did not procure the clients for whom I routinely rendered service. The same was true with respect to the profession that had provided me with so much. It was not great because of anything I have done; it was great because of those who had come before me (many of whom received far less material reward). I do not know my ultimate purpose in this life or in this profession. What I do know, however, is that my purpose is greater than what I have previously been making of it. Having come to that realization, it would unfairly sell short the efforts of those who have made my burden light if I were to continue at my own professional status quo. It is time for me and my generation to become the “adults” and begin preparing a smooth path for the generation to come. I am resolved to start that process, and I am resolved to make that difference. There undoubtedly will be a group of impressive candidates with proven records of serving in leadership positions. I do not have that type of existing record and will not attempt to argue otherwise. That being said, if I already were playing extensive leadership roles within the Bar and community, then I likely would not need the instruction that this program can provide; nor would this program likely need me. What I do have is a vast amount of drive and desire. It simply has not been focused in a direction that will leave a lasting mark on my profession and my community. In short, I have spent too much effort in obtaining respect for my potential as a lawyer and not enough effort in obtaining respect for my potential to leave a legacy beyond myself. With the direction of the Leadership Forum, that will change.”