Members Who Motivate Us We know COVID-19 challenged each of our members in unique and unprecedented ways. In the face of the new hurdles, many of you embraced opportunities to be of service to others who were experiencing more acute hardships. For this issue of the Bulletin, we highlight two members who helped others through the COVID-19 crisis. Nicole King is the City Attorney for the City of Birmingham and leads a team of 44 attorneys. During the crisis, she and her team supported the city in its implementation of a response to COVID-19 and its initiatives to help citizens and small businesses. Rip Andrews is a partner at Marsh, Rickard & Bryan where he strives to make a tangible impact on people’s lives. In response to the crisis, he started the Win-Win-Win program.
Nicole King
Members Who Motivate Us
Q. Please talk about some of the work you did to support the city’s response to COVID-19. A. As the City Attorney for the City of
Birmingham, my highest responsibility is to ensure effective and efficient legal representation for the Mayor, City Council, 32 departments and their divisions and manage the staff of 44 employees who handle all contracts, ordinances, and civil and criminal legal matters for the city. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Randall Woodfin has maintained a strong and steady approach to protecting small businesses, residents of the city and city employees. My team and I were on the front line of the mayor’s and the city’s response to COVID-19. Immediately after the first case was identified in Alabama, I led a team of attorneys in my office in identifying legal authority for the City of Birmingham to take measures to control the spread of disease. This work enabled Mayor Woodfin’s March 16 proclamation, declaring a state of emergency for the city, adopting CDC guidelines and limiting the size of gatherings to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19. Ours was the first such mayoral action in the state. My team and I also worked closely with Mayor Woodfin on the introduction of a shelter-in-place ordinance and a second mayoral proclamation that reinforced the Jefferson County Health Officer’s order
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Above: City Attorney Nicole King at a Birmingham City Council meeting.
closing all non-essential businesses in the city and further limiting gatherings. The joint efforts of the City Council and the mayor resulted in the first shelter-in-place ordinance in the state, which was later extended and readopted. Each of these proclamations and ordinances required legal research and advice from me and my team to guide the mayor and council. We drafted each of the proclamations and ordinances in response to the changing needs of the city
to manage public health concerns. I also directly advised the City Council on Gov. Kay Ivey’s emergency proclamation relating to open meetings, including matters that can or cannot be considered in a virtual meeting. Our attorneys and I also supported in the implementation of the Birmingham Strong Fund spearheaded by Dr. Josh Carpenter. We drafted the contracts and resolutions for consideration and approval by the council.
Q. The mayor and the entire city government worked tirelessly to respond to the crisis. Is there a certain initiative that you are particularly proud of? A. I am particularly proud of the
Birmingham Strong Fund. The Office of Innovation and Economic Opportunity quickly created a process that ensured
BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN
