Remembering Tony McLain, 0317 ALBJ, 78 The Alabama Lawyer 100 (2017)
Alabama State Bar Announces Death of General Counsel J. Anthony “Tony” McLain
Long-time Alabama State Bar General Counsel J. Anthony “Tony” McLain passed away Sunday, January 1, 2017. He was a member of the bar’s staff for more than 28 years and was named as general counsel in 1995.
“Tony McLain was an encourager. He possessed wisdom and he was a servant leader. These three traits are vital when one holds the position of general counsel for the Alabama State Bar,” said J. Cole Portis, state bar president. “I think his most important trait, though, was his ability as the prosecutor to show compassion even when discipline was being leveled against an attorney. In his role as general counsel, I am certain that Tony wasn’t beloved by every lawyer, but Tony, who was universally respected, became one of the icons in our bar.”
As general counsel, McLain was responsible for overseeing the operations of the Center for Professional Responsibility, which investigates and prosecutes bar complaints, issues ethics opinions to lawyers, represents the bar in state and federal litigation and provides legal advice to the bar’s governing and policy-making body, the Board of Bar Commissioners.
“Although he served in a very tough position, enforcing the legal profession’s ethical rules, he did so with fairness, professionalism and great compassion,” said ASB Executive Director Keith Norman. “Tony has left an indelible mark on the legal profession in Alabama and his state bar colleagues and fellow lawyers mourn his loss and will miss his wisdom and friendship.”
McLain was raised in Headland. He received his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and earned his law degree from Samford University’s Cumberland Law School. After graduating from law school, he served as an assistant attorney general during the administrations of Attorneys General Bill Baxley and Charlie Graddick. He then practiced law in the firm of McLain & Hampton for nine years before joining the state bar in 1988 as assistant general counsel.
He was widely known as an expert in legal ethics and conducted numerous continuing legal education seminars on the subject. He served as president of Cumberland’s National Alumni Association and was the recipient of the school’s distinguished alumnus award. In 2014, the bar awarded McLain with the Alabama State Bar Professionalism Award. Following the presentation, it was announced that the award would be further known as the J. Anthony “Tony” McLain Professionalism Award.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (383 Main Ave., 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851).
A Full-Glass Kind of Guy
By R. Cooper Shattuck
Your presence here is an honor and a tribute to Tony McLain. I’m not sure why Tony wanted me to speak here today. My very few years as a part-time local pastor in the United Methodist Church are hardly a distinction. Nevertheless, I am honored and hope that I can honor his wishes with a few thoughts. The truth is that there are so many friends of Tony’s here who are much better storytellers than I, and many who have as much or more to share. The reality is that if everyone who loved Tony, everyone whose life was touched by him, tried to put into words what Tony meant to them, we would be here for years and years and years. Instead, I hope that you all will share with us those thoughts, those experiences and those stories for years to come. That way, Tony’s life will continue to make a difference in the lives of others.
First, some disclaimers on my comments. I am not going to attempt to explain why bad things happen to good people. Why we must endure things like cancer. Why life is so short. While I have contributed to sermon series on such things, that is not Tony. And, of course, that is not what Tony wanted. And frankly, for all you good Methodists, I’m not technically licensed anymore anyway. Thank you, Patrick, for allowing me to respect Tony’s wishes by speaking briefly here today.
So, you see, Tony wanted something upbeat. Thanks a lot, friend. An upbeat memorial service. That is a tall order for a day like today, but that is Tony. And, that is also why we have Mark White in the lineup.
Tony’s desire for an upbeat memorial service certainly captures so many things about him. For Tony was not as simple as whether the glass is half empty or half full. No. He was a full-glass kind of guy. And I’m not just talking about wine glasses. According to Tony, if you are concerned about whether your glass is half empty or half full, you are worried about the wrong glass. Or. perhaps you are looking at it wrong. Maybe you need a smaller glass. Or. maybe you need to add some more to the glass that you have. And that kind of attitude, that kind of perspective...
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