President's Page

MONTGOMERY, Ala. and POINT CLEAR, Ala. – Birmingham attorney Brannon Buck has begun his term as president of the Alabama State Bar. Buck, a founding partner of Badham & Buck, LLC, was installed at the bar’s Annual Meeting on July 15, 2023.

As president, Buck will focus on two initiatives that fall in line with the bar’s strategic plan: promoting and emphasizing civility and collegiality in the profession, and launching a new website that will connect those in need with available legal resources.

“One of our association’s core missions is to serve the public. The judicial system exists to protect rights, liberties, and property. But for the almost one-million Alabamians who live in poverty, and for probably many more than that, the judicial system is some far-away branch of government. We will return our attention to making sure that the legal system works for all who need it,” said Buck.

To accomplish this objective, Buck will oversee the launch of Justice for All, a website designed for people who don’t know a lawyer. The website will be an easy-to-navigate, one-stop-shop for connecting people with lawyers, legal aid resources, and court system information. Using QR codes that will be placed in courthouses, libraries, shelters, schools, and other community centers, individuals can simply scan the QR Code and be taken to the Justice for All site.

“Courthouses can be scary, far-away places. Justice for All will become Alabama’s virtual courthouse door,” added Buck.

In addition to the development of the new site, Buck detailed his passion for professionalism, expressing his goal for civility to once again become the default setting of our profession

“This year, and hopefully for years to come, we choose civility,” said Buck. “We choose civility by picking up the phone instead of writing a contentious email. And we choose civility by giving each other a little grace when we inevitably make mistakes. Over the next several months, the Alabama State Bar will use its platforms to sound the importance of civility to members and law students through new programs and legal education courses.”

Along with the Justice for All and civility initiatives, Buck explained that the bar will continue its work on improving lawyer wellness and mental health. The Lawyers Helpline and free counseling program will be ongoing member benefits.

Buck practices primarily in the area of complex business litigation. He represents clients in matters involving contracts, trade secrets and intellectual property, shareholder disputes, and violations of false claims acts. He also has significant experience prosecuting and defending class actions.

Before founding Badham & Buck, LLC, Brannon was a partner at Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. He received his bachelor of arts in 1994 from Davidson College in North Carolina and his juris doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1997.

Buck served three terms on the Board of Bar Commissioners, representing the Tenth Judicial Circuit and has chaired numerous task forces and committees, most recently leading the bar’s task force for the creation and adoption of Bylaws. He is also a graduate of the Alabama State Bar Leadership Forum.

In addition to his service with the Alabama State Bar, Brannon serves on the Leadership Council for the University of Alabama Law Alumni Society and as a Board Member of the Alabama Law Foundation. He previously served as the Chairman of the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and as a board member for the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation.

Brannon is married to Mollie deShazo, who practices Oncology at Urology Centers of Alabama. Mollie and Brannon have a daughter, Emerson, and a son, Harris.