Alabama State Bar

A lawyer is a professional writer, but a lawyer’s purpose is not self-expression. A lawyer speaks (and writes) for someone else, to achieve a certain outcome, in a system governed by rules upon rules upon rules. It is technical, detailed work. Its hallmarks are clarity and precision. The purpose of legal writing is not principally to stir the soul but to satisfy a skeptical mind. A lawyer hoping to persuade another lawyer or judge to accept some position must write in a way that answers obvious questions.

In 1915, Judge Hugh A. Locke had a vision for a non-traditional law school that would serve men and women who wanted to pursue a legal education, but had neither the time nor money that a full-time law school required. Birmingham School of Law was born out of that vison with classes originally being held at Birmingham-Southern College.

Introductory signals, according to The Bluebook, help legal writers “organiz[e] authorities and show how authorities support or relate to a proposition given in the text.” In a perfect world, The Bluebook would be easy to follow, all lawyers would use it uniformly, and there would always be a case on point. But the practice of law is rarely perfect.

On January 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Alabama issued an order establishing the Online Dispute Resolution for Small Claims Cases pilot project and included the Rules Regarding the Online Dispute Resolution for Small Claims Cases.[1] Morgan County will be the first pilot county.[2] Other counties that want to be added to the pilot project may be at the discretion of the Administrative Director of Courts.[3] As of May 2022, it is also live in Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Colbert, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Lee, Madison, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Shelby, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, and Washington counties.

This article discusses the founding and development of Fort Rucker, Alabama and its contribution to the prosperity of Enterprise and the entire Wiregrass region. It recognizes the vision of local, state, and national leaders who championed the development of a military base in southeast Alabama, which is now known as the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker.