FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: Counseling Adoptive Parents

By Susan M. Brown As lawyers, we are called to be both advocates and counselors. Clients may come to you for help with legal filings about an adoption. But to advise them wisely, you should be sure they have realistic expectations about this most important decision. Here are a few basic considerations to help your clients make informed decisions.

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FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: Women Lawyers in the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame

The Alabama Women's Hall of Fame (AWHF) was stablished in 1970. It recognizes women native to or identified closely with Alabama who have made significant contributions on a state, national, or international level. Notable inductees include Helen Keller, Julia Tutwiler, Rosa Parks, Harper Lee, and Coretta Scott King. Of the 98 women in the AWHF, five were lawyers. Remarkably, when most became lawyers, women still could not vote or serve on a jury.[1]

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FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: The Susan B. Livingston Award

The Susan B. Livingston Leadership Award was established in 2016 by the Women’s Section of the Alabama State Bar to honor women lawyers in Alabama who reflect the values of Susan Bevill Livingston. Livingston practiced for 29 years at Balch & Bingham in Birmingham. She was a tireless advocate of mentoring. She also had a strong commitment to her community and volunteered for many civic opportunities, as well as being an outstanding leader in both her personal and professional life.

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FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: The Importance of Ships

Retaining female attorneys is an important issue. Polls, surveys, reports, and articles have been conducted and written on this subject offering solutions. Businesses with more diverse employees have been shown to be more financially successful and the employees more satisfied and content with their firms.[1]

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Read more about the article FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: Practicing Law According to Forrest Gump
Winston Groom and Sam Crosby

FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER: Practicing Law According to Forrest Gump

I have found wisdom and wit in the fictional character Forrest Gump, a creation of my friend, author Winston Groom. The movie based on Groom’s novel, Forrest Gump, contains a scene in which Forrest is running mile after mile with a crowd following him, and for no particular reason, he just stops running. It is difficult to stop running in an active law practice, but when I finally did, I began to reflect on my situation.

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FROM THE ALABAMA LAWYER – We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Mediating Tips for Mediators and Lawyers in the Land of Zoom

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on virtually everyone, and lawyers are no different. Mediation is just one of the areas in which our practices have been significantly affected. While some of the Covid-19 consequences were temporary, the ability to gather virtually or remotely is here to stay. Dorothy was right: “We’re not in Kansas anymore!”

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