Magic City Bar Association Judicial Council Hosts Community Event New Members Make Individual Marks as Well By Honorable Eugene Verin (Retired) and Chris Burrell In February, the Judicial Council of the Magic City Bar Association hosted a community-wide “Lunch and Learn” at New Rising Star Baptist Church. The free forum was open to the public and included lunch for attendees. The “Lunch and Learn” offered insight into the workings of the local court system and the history of the Jefferson County African-American Judiciary. The program also included panel discussions on criminal law and family law led by local Jefferson County judges. There were keynote addresses by retired Federal District Judge U. W. Clemon and Presiding Judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit, Judge Elisabeth French. Judge Clemon was the first black judge appointed to the Alabama Federal judiciary. Judge French is the first female Presiding Judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit. “We wanted to present this forum during Black History Month so that the community could both celebrate the history of local black judges and be more informed about the workings of the local court system,” said Jefferson County Circuit Judge Agnes Chappell, chairperson of the Judicial Council. While the seasoned members of the Judicial Council served the community, two of the MCBA’s newer members were also making their own mark in the community. New Corresponding Secretary April Collins of Collins Law LLC held the MCBA’s first “Know Your Rights” Legal Forum. Collins, whose firm handles personal injury cases, said: “It’s a quarterly series to inform the community of their legal rights in various areas of the law.” The
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MCBA Judicial Council
President Chris Burrell delivers his remarks free event focused on criminal law and featured another MCBA member, Victor Revill, as the guest attorney. The remaining forums will feature other attorneys in different practice areas sharing valuable information with the community. Rodney Dillard, another new face to the MCBA, was the featured speaker at the Birmingham School of Law BLSA chapter Speaker Series. He gave a presentation on “Gaining and Selecting Employment,
Judge Elisabeth French and Judge Houston Brown Choosing a Practice Area and More.” According to Rodney, his aim was to “prepare law students with a realistic perspective of the job market, networking and bar preparation.” As an associate at Friedman, Dazzio, Zulanas & Bowling PC, Rodney’s practice areas include insurance defense, premises liability and auto liability. MCBA members, both old and new, got the first quarter of the year off to a great start.
BIRMINGHAM BAR BULLETIN
