The Alabama Law Institute has also instituted a legal intern program, providing committees with legal analysts from the University of Alabama Law School, Cumberland Law School at Samford University and Jones Law School at Faulkner University, giving senior level law students needed experience while keeping the Legislature from having to hire yet more employees.

ALI staff is also working revisions to the Alabama Probate Judges’ Handbook and the Alabama County Commissioners’ Handbook, and conducting education seminars for officials and lawyers throughout the state to ensure the legislation passed this session is implemented effectively and efficiently.

“I’m so proud of our staff and what we have been able to do to modernize the Alabama Law Institute’s purpose, and I look forward to continuing my role as a leader on legal issues for our state,” Ward said.

The Alabama Law Institute was created in 1967 and began operations in 1969, with a state purpose to clarify and simplify the laws of Alabama, to revise laws that are out-of-date and to fill in gaps in the law where there exists legal confusion. 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 domiciled 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 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, Legislature, and the Governor’s Office.