FROM STAFF REPORTS

During its quarterly meeting on Feb. 2, the Alabama Law Institute elected State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, to be its new president.

The Alabama Law Institute works closely with the Legislative Reference Service in the yearly placing of acts passed by the Legislature within the Code of Alabama.

The membership of the Alabama Law Institute is limited to a maximum of 150 members of the Alabama State Bar Association who are elected for fixed terms, the judges of the Alabama Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and circuit courts, federal judges who live in Alabama, full-time law faculty members of Cumberland Law School and the University of Alabama School of Law, all members of the Institute Council and all lawyer members of the Legislature who are licensed to practice in Alabama.

The governing body of the Institute is the Institute Council, which is composed of six practicing attorneys from each congressional district as well as representatives from the appellate courts, Attorney General’s office, Alabama State Bar Association, law schools, the Legislature and the Governor’s office.

While the Legislative Reference Service prepares the majority of bills for each session for the Legislature, many major code revisions, such as revision of an entire section of law, are handled by the Alabama Law Institute.
The Law Institute receives its projects from members of the Legislature, state government, from the Alabama Bar Association or may initiate the study itself when revisions to the Code of Alabama are needed.

“Over the years we have had some great members of Alabama’s legal community to preside over this organization and I think Senator Ward will continue that tradition,” said Law Institute Executive Director Bob McCurley. “His leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee will ensure the thorough and deliberate debate that changes in our legal system deserve.”

“I am honored to have this opportunity to work with my colleagues in the legal community to bring about fair and just changes needed to the Code of Alabama,” Ward said.