‘The Secret of Magic’ awarded the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction
ABA Journal – July 2
Deborah Johnson has been awarded the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for The Secret of Magic. “We’re thrilled with this year’s selection,” said Allen Pusey, editor and publisher of the ABA Journal, who was on the selection committee for the Harper Lee Prize finalists. “The Secret of Magic is exactly the kind of book the Harper Lee Prize is intended to honor; and the quality of legal literature we hope to encourage. The language is rich, the storytelling is gripping, and the subject fits squarely in today’s discussions about race, courage and the rule of law.” This is the fifth year the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction has been awarded. The prize is intended for the best novel-length work of fiction published that year to illuminate the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. It is sponsored by the ABA Journal and the University of Alabama School of Law, and named for the author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Editorial: Religious objections to civil laws have a curious history
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – July 2
The “sincere religious beliefs” objections to Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states are getting some traction, particularly in Texas, Alabama and Louisiana. By a not-so-amazing coincidence, these are among the 11 states where there is an unfortunate history of sincere religious objections to previous laws of the land. The 13th Amendment for one, the one that abolished slavery. It seems impossible to think now, but throughout the South, and from some pulpits in the North, before and after the Civil War, churches vigorously defended slavery as rooted in the Bible. In “God’s Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War,” the historian George C. Rable of the University of Alabama writes: “Preachers talked about a spiritual and cultural war between true Christianity and Yankee infidelity. Indeed, according to one Georgia Baptist editor, it was northern ‘opposition to plain Biblical teachings, which has dissolved our once glorious Union.’ And just as some northern ministers viewed the secession crisis as a millennial opportunity to proclaim liberty to the captives, so southern Christians maintained that the perfection of a slaveholding society would ultimately lead to what a Georgia woman called ‘the final and universal spread of a Gospel civilization.’ ”
UA has close ties with Cuba
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – July 1
The University of Alabama has close ties with Cuba. The Cuba Initiative started in 2002. So, what does today’s announcement mean for the program? Chip Cooper says, “The latest changes are just one more step in finally allowing free travel back and forth. This is not going to happen overnight. There are still many obstacles in the way, but we are so much closer than we were say December…so many months ago.” This year the UA Board of Trustees approved a Center for Cuba Collaboration and Scholarship. For more information on the program look in the “as seen on TV section” of our WBRC News App.
Crowds gather on UA campus to look at moon, Venus and Jupiter
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 30
Dozens gathered on top of Galilee Hall to look at the moon and try to see Venus and Jupiter. Astronomy professors say they love to take advantage of nights like these.
Colbert graduates Summa Cum Laude
Atmore News – July 2
Jordan Allene Colbert of Perdido graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce & Business Administration and Honors College with a double major Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and Economics at the University of Alabama’s commencement ceremony, held on May 2, 2015. Colbert participated in volunteer work including the University’s Alternative Spring Break assisting in tornado damage cleanup in Mississippi, serving as an Art Enrichment Mentor at a local elementary school as a representative, and as a part of the Honors College Art Exploration staff. In addition she served as an academic peer tutor for the university for three years. She was selected by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to serve as an intern utilizing her knowledge of Quantitative Economics and Mathematical Statistics to assist financial consultants by researching market fluctuations, account reviews, and seminar planning.
On the Hill: Pelham woman completes internship with Senator Shelby
Shelby County Reporter – July 2
One Pelham native received an inside look at how congress functions through an internship in Washington, D.C. working with U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. Bethany Carter completed her internship as of June 29 and was hired on as a staff assistant for the office. “Nothing beats being on the Hill in person,” Carter said. “If you are at all interested in seeing how the government works, although it was difficult getting here, the experience was definitely worth it.” After graduating from the University of Alabama in May with a degree in political science, 22-year-old Carter applied for the internship on Senator Shelby’s website. She said she initially planned on looking for jobs while interning.