News and Updates

Solo and Small Firm Month - Mark Your Calendars for Free CLEs

The Alabama State Bar's Solo and Small Firm Section will partner with the Birmingham Bar's Solo and Small Firm Section to host a 2-hour free CLE on Sept. 30, 2021, starting at 11:40 a.m. Register for both here.

  • 9/30 at 11:40 a.m.Alabama Sunshine Laws by Mark Boardman, Boardman Carr Petelos Watkins & Ogle, P.C.

    The Open Meetings  Act and Open Records Act were intended to shed light on the workings of government, but not every gathering of public officials is a meeting and not every document is a record.  Learn the ins and outs of Alabama’s governmental transparency laws, and how to get the information you, or your client, needs.


  • 9/30 at 12:40 p.m. - Make Your Practice More Efficient by Catherine Sanders Reach, Center for Practice Management, North Carolina Bar Association

    Are you looking for ways to work smarter and not harder? Do you want to leverage the tools you already have more effectively? Do you want to ease security worries? How about make it easier to work with clients? Automate repetitive workflows and manage tasks more efficiently? In this CLE we will arm you with an actionable to-do list of tips to help you manage your practice so you can focus on practicing law.

Annual License Renewals Underway; Members to Receive One-Year Decrease in Annual License Fees

Renewal notices for payment of annual license fees and special membership dues were emailed on Sept. 1. Alabama State Bar members will notice a decrease for the 2021-2022 license year. At its March 2021 Board Meeting, Bar Commissioners unanimously approved extending a one-year fee decrease to its 18,700+ members. Occupational license fees are reduced from $325 to $300, and the corresponding reduction of the special membership fee goes from $162.50 to $150. Please note, fees will return to the regular rate in 2022.

Payment may be made online or you can print a voucher to mail with your check at www.alabar.org. Payments are due by October 1; payment made after October 31 will be subject to a statutory late fee. As a reminder, you will not receive a paper invoice in the mail.

   
Detailed instructions for payment are available online, including information for firm administrators who wish to pay for multiple attorneys.

Buzz from the Bar

BBC Meeting Recap


Gov. Kay Ivey gave welcoming remarks at Friday's Board of Bar Commissioner Meeting in Montgomery. Look for an email newsletter from the Commissioner or Commissioners representing your circuit later this week with meeting summary notes.

#MoreThanALawyer featuring Tom Perry


Friday’s #MoreThanALawyer featured attorney Tom Perry, Vice President of the Board of Bar Commissioners. Share your story or nominate a fellow attorney today!


View Tom's feature >>

Leadership Forum Culinary Experience

Lawyers or chefs? Both! Leadership Forum Class 15 took part in a Culinary Experience ahead of their class graduation. Thanks to the evening's sponsors: White Arnold & Dowd, McCollum & Wilson, P.C., and the Law Offices of Jennifer Joyce Tompkins, LLC. View more photos here

Jones Law Students Attend BBC Meeting

Thank you to Dean Charles Campbell and these students from the Jones School of Law for being our special guests at last week's Board of Bar Commissioners Meeting. Caleb Carr (3L), Kyley Rosemary (2L), Ava Peterson (3L), Shelby Andrews (3L), and Anna Spidle (2L).

Decisions and Opinions from Alabama's Appellate Courts

 
  • Click here to view the Supreme Court of Alabama decisions and opinions from Sept.17.

  • Click here to view the Criminal Appeals decisions and opinions from Sept. 17.

  • Click here to view the Civil Appeals decisions and opinions from Sept. 17.


The Supreme Court of Alabama will host Oral Arguments at Saenger Theatre in Mobile on Nov. 5, 2021. Click here to view the docket here.

Pro Bono Month Plans

Each October, we celebrate Pro Bono Month, and it's almost here! Mark your calendars for these free CLEs planned each Wednesday at noon in October.

  • Wednesday, Oct. 6 at Noon: Ethics Update - Join Alabama State Bar General Counsel, Roman Shaul, for this ethics update.  This program has been approved for one hour of MCLE Ethics Credit.  Register here.


  • Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Noon: Top 10 Mistakes Made in Mediation - Cooper Shattuck has been a mediator on the Roster of the Alabama State Court Mediators and an arbitrator on the Roster of the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution since 1998. Mediation gives parties the opportunity to resolve disputes in a timely manner while having more control over possible solutions and agreements. Join Cooper as he discusses the Top 10 Mistakes Made in Mediation. Register here.


  • Wednesday, Oct. 20 at Noon: What's Next? Landlord-Tenant Issues Post-Moratorium - Sarah Taggart founded Sarah Taggart, P.C., a boutique Alabama law firm focused on landlord/tenant law, in her hometown of Huntsville, Alabama.  Holly Ray is the Managing Attorney in the Huntsville Office of Legal Services Alabama.  Join these two speakers as they discuss Landlord-Tenant issues post-eviction moratorium. Register here.


  • Wednesday, Oct. 27 at Noon: FEMA 101 and Disaster Legal Assistance - How Attorneys can Prepare and Respond to Climate-Related Emergencies - Jeanne is the Pro Bono & Strategic Initiatives Manager at Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that combines access to justice and technology. She helps grow digital initiatives that strengthen the work of attorneys assisting low-income families with their legal issues.  Shrushti Kothari is the Project Managing Attorney of National Disaster Content and Resources at Lone Star Legal Aid.  Join these national experts as they speak about Disaster Legal Assistance.
    Register here.

Join volunteer lawyers like the attorneys at Beasley Allen Law Firm who are helping expand access to justice in Alabama. As a pro bono volunteer, you provide a tremendous benefit to the indigent families in need of civil legal assistance. 

Upcoming Legal Clinics:

Oct. 7 
- Wills for Heroes Clinic (Vestavia Hills Police and Fire Department)

Oct. 12 - Senior Wills Clinic (Dothan, AL) Volunteers needed.

Oct. 21 - Counsel and Advice Clinic (Tuscaloosa, AL) Volunteers needed.

Please contact Hilaire Armstrong if you would be interested in volunteering at a clinic above or participating in a virtual counsel and advice clinic.

A special thank you to Attorney G. Scott Frazier and Attorney Jason Bailey for helping clients navigate the legal system at our monthly, counsel and advice clinic at the Tuscaloosa Public Library. Email Hilaire Armstrong if you are interested in volunteering at the next clinic on Oct. 21.

Sign Up For Our Inaugural Pro Bono Book Club

The Pro Bono Month Celebration Task Force is launching the inaugural Pro Bono Book Club. The book club discussions would take place via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesdays in October and reading may start as early as you'd like. This year's book selection is “A Knock at Midnight” by Brittany Barnett. It is a moving and fantastic read. Task Force members hope this kind of sharing will lead to an expanded dialogue among participants and even non-participants of the book club about pro bono services.

>> Register for the Book Club here.

The Celebration Task Force has decided to give away a copy of the book, "A Knock At Midnight" each week in September.  The lucky recipient will be selected from everyone who registers for the book club, and of course, registration is free

Other Upcoming Events

Free CLE: Alabama Department of Labor’s Workers Compensation Ombudsman Program

Thursday, Oct. 7 at Noon


The Dispute Resolution Section of the Alabama State Bar and the Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution invite you to a free 60-minute webinar on October 7, 2021 at noon (CDT). This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the “Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) Workers’ Compensation Division Ombudsman Program.” Our panelists include Ombuds with the Alabama Department of Labor who will share with participants information about this free service. During the webinar you’ll learn about the role of the ombudsman, what a benefit review conference is, how to request participation in the Workers’ Compensation mediation program and what to expect from mediation. This course has been approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE credit by the Alabama State Bar

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Register by October 6.

Mobile Bar Foundation to Host Tri the Gulf in October

Brought to you by the Mobile Bar Foundation, Tri the Gulf is a sprint triathlon on Dauphin Island, consisting of a 600 yard Gulf swim, 16.7-mile island + bridge bike, and 3.1-mile island run. The net proceeds from the event go to the Mobile Bar Foundation, which uses the funds to award grants to 501(c)(3) organizations that have a nexus to the legal community.

>> Find out more about the race and the Mobile Bar Foundation here.

Labor and Employment Law Section: Annual Seminar on the Gulf 2021

Join us for the Annual Seminar! This year, we'll be at the Lodge at Gulf State Park with an option for virtual attendance on Zoom. Friday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021. 

   

Please contact Charles Guerrier at ceguerrier@haynes-haynes.com or (205) 879-0377 for any questions concerning this event.

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