President's Page, 0321 ALBJ, Vol. 82 No. 3 Pg. 164 (May, 2021)

• Author: Robert G. Methvin, Jr., J.
• Position: Vol. 82 3 Pg. 164

PRESIDENT'S PAGE

No. Vol. 82 No. 3 Pg. 164

Alabama Bar Lawyer

May, 2021

Robert G. Methvin, Jr., J.

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Lawyers Inspire Us

The Alabama State Bar's motto-Lawyers Render Service-was first introduced by one of the greatest leaders in our profession, Fred Gray. Mr. Gray has devoted his life and legal career to ending all forms of racial discrimination and segregation. He successfully argued some of the most important constitutional law cases during the civil rights era and was a leader in the civil rights movement. Mr. Gray was appropriately described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as "the chief counsel for the protest movement,"¹ and he was the personal attorney for Ms. Rosa Parks, Dr. King, and Ms. Claudette Colvin. Mr. Gray was also the first African-American elected president of the Alabama State Bar.

Over the past few months, the Alabama State Bar has recognized Mr. Gray for his achievements. For example, I recently wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting that Mr. Gray be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.^[2] The Board of Bar Commissioners also passed resolutions detailing Mr. Gray's great accomplishments as well as the bar's highest respect and deepest gratitude for his lifelong achievements. The bar will permanently honor Mr. Gray with the creation of the Fred David Gray Courtyard adjacent to the Alabama State Bar.

Fred Gray is a perfect example of a leader who committed his life to making this world a much better place. In short, Fred Gray is a true American hero, and I a m proud that the Alabama State Bar chose to recognize his lifetime of service. There are many others in our profession who deserve, but may not always receive, recognition for their daily impact on those around them. To showcase the inspiring leaders among us, the Alabama State Bar began the #MoreThanALawyer series during Christy Crow's tenure as president. You have probably seen the hashtag in some of our Scoop emails or on our social media pages.

Since its inception, we have had an amazing response to the program with numerous lawyers taking the opportunity to praise the accomplishments of their peers. Many of these stories are relatable to our readers and reflect charitable or other important work performed by lawyers and judges in their communities. The lawyers and judges featured in the #MoreThanALawyer series include: Nesha Wright, Yawanna...