This document provides a history of the Montgomery County Bar Association over its first 100 years, from 1915 to 2015. It summarizes the backgrounds and accomplishments of over 80 attorneys who served as the association's presidents. Some key details include that the formal bar association was created in 1915, though records from the first 15 years are unclear. It discusses the contributions of early presidents like J. Render Thomas, Richard T. Rives, and Wiley C. Hill Jr. The document then profiles each president and highlights from their terms throughout the 20th century, covering their legal careers, community involvement, and events held by the association each year like Law Day.

1. “Wemakealivingbywhatwe
get;wemakealifebywhatwe
give.”Thisfamiliarquote
seemstobethephilosophy
manyMontgomerylawyers
haveexemplifiedoverthepast
100years.Thisfall,the
MontgomeryCountyBar
Associationcelebratesits
centennialanniversaryandhonorsthescoresofmenand
womenwhohaveledtheorganization.Notonlyhave
theymadealivingthroughthepracticeoflaw,but
simultaneouslythesepresidentshavegivenimmensely
totheprofessionandtotheircommunity.
To practice law in the state, an attorney must be a member
of the Alabama State Bar; however, lawyers voluntarily join a
local bar association to network with other professionals, at-
tend continuing education courses, and give back to their com-
munity.
While it’s impossible to chronicle the lives and careers of the
many barristers who have led the Montgomery Bar, we’ll give
you a glimpse of a few. These are the names of the families that
have built this city and contributed to its rich and storied his-
tory, the grandfathers and great-uncles of those reading these
pages, the icons you have worshipped or lived alongside.
AJourneyThroughHistory
It wasn’t until 1915 that a formal bar association was created
here. Information from those first 15 years is a bit unclear, but
we believe J. Render Thomas served as president in 1921,
and Federal Judge Richard T. Rives led the organization in
1923 (he would go on to be president of the State Bar in 1939-
40).
Judge Rives was a native of Montgomery who passed the bar
exam at 19, and soon after he clerked for the firm Hill, Hill,
Whiting and Sterne, and was mentored by Wiley Hill Sr. In the
1950s, he was appointed to the Fifth Circuit Court and was
among the three-judge panel that decided the Montgomery bus
boycott case. He is the grandfather to Hon. Ginny Granade, a
current U.S. District Judge in Mobile.
Wiley C. Hill Jr. served as the bar’s president in 1927,
around the time Circuit Judge Walter B. Jones started a law
school in 1928 named in honor of
his father Gov. Thomas Goode
Jones. His father had served as
Speaker of the Alabama House,
two terms as governor, and was
later appointed U.S. District
Judge. Until his death in 1963,
Circuit Judge Walter Jones oper-
ated the law school as a propri-
etary educational institution.
In 1930, Marion Rushton
served as bar president. His father
Ray Rushton founded a firm in 1890,
and Marion joined in 1920 when it was
located in the Bell Building. The firm would develop a rich his-
tory and eventually be known as Rushton, Stakely, Johnston
& Garrett.
In 1931, John P. Kohn Jr. began his term as bar president
and later he was appointed by Gov. Lurleen Wallace as an as-
sociate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court. He was fol-
lowed by Ben Hardeman in 1932.
Thomas B. Hill Jr. was chosen in 1933 to be bar president.
In 1924, he had launched a law practice, and in 1931 his
brother William Inge Hill joined the firm. Eventually the
partnership would be known as Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole
& Black.
In 1934 John B. Scott served as president when there were
about 50 or 60 members, followed by Heirston L. Foster in
1935. The next year, John L. Goodwyn led the organization,
and from 1946 to 1951 he would serve as Montgomery mayor,
and as an associate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court
1951-1968.
The decade closed out with the following bar presidents:
Norman T. Spann in 1937, Luther H. Waller Sr. in 1938,
Charles M. Pinkston in 1939, and then D. Eugene Loe, who
was city attorney and then municipal court judge from the
1950s to 1970s.
J.R. Thomas Jr. held the reins of the bar association in
1941, and was succeeded in 1942 by William Inge Hill.
Evans Hinson served as president in 1943, while Jack Cren-
shaw was in charge in 1944.
Walter J. Knabe, 1945 president, was a Yale and Harvard
graduate who served as dean of Jones Law School from 1928
until the 1970s; plus he was named the state’s Game & Fish
secretary, was director of Boys State, and later received ABA’s
personal award of merit.
In the post-war era, the following lawyers served as bar pres-
idents: William C. Thomas, Sam Rice Baker, J. Mac Jones,
R.S. Hill Jr., Miles S. Hall, Luther Ingalls, Files Cren-
shaw, and Vaughan Hill Robison.
SEPTEMBER 2015 35
Legal Community
Celebrates CentennialBy DARLENE HUTCHINSON BIEHL

2. The bar’s 1954 president James Garrett was among the first
to join the firm recently established by the Rushtons, where
he stayed more than 40 years. The next year, the association
was led by Jack L. Capell, a founder of Capell Howard, and
Sol E. Brinsfield Jr. presided in 1956.
James J. Carter led the Montgomery bar in 1957, and was
part of the Hill, Hill, Carter, Franco, Cole & Black firm for
many years. According to 1981 President Larry Kloess, the
first national recognition of the local bar occurred when the
American Bar Association presented its Award of Merit for ex-
ceptional activities from 1957, and when Drayton Hamilton
was president in 1958. ABA particularly liked the voluntary
representation of the indigent, and a television talk show called
“It’s The Law,” as well as the bar’s involvement in legislation
related to court fees and a county law library.
Fontaine M. Howard served as bar president in 1959. Al-
though his education began in a two-room schoolhouse, he
would go on to spend a few years in Naval Intelligence during
WWII, and then establish a firm with Jack Capell.
In 1959, the County Law Library opened with 1,841 vol-
umes. During the early 1960s, the following men led the bar
association: Robert B. Stewart, Richard C. Belser, Robert
F. Park, Robert E. Steiner III, Otis J. Goodwyn and
William B. Moore Jr.
In January 1966 Truman M. Hobbs assumed leadership of
the organization. A graduate of Yale Law School, this Selma
native clerked for Justice Hugo Black on the U.S. Supreme
Court. When Judge Frank Johnson was elevated in 1980 to the
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, President Jimmy Carter selected
Truman Hobbs for the federal bench. His father Sam Hobbs
had served as a circuit judge 16 years, and was a congressman.
Leading the bar association in 1967 and 1968 were Harry
Cole and T. Bowen Hill III.
Joseph D. Phelps served as president of the local bar in
1969, although he is best known for his 18 years as a Circuit
Judge. He served as dean of Jones Law School for four years,
and was instrumental in Law Day activities within local
schools, particularly the speech contest. President Dwight
36 RIVER REGION LIVING
More than 80 attorneys have led the Montgomery bar during its 100-year
history, including these eight, who collectively represent more than 300 years
of legal expertise. Front row, left to right: Laura Crum, Cowin Knowles and
Larry Kloess. Back row: Bobby Segall, George Azar, Tom Methvin, Wanda
Devereaux and Spud Seale. Photo by Paul Robertson.

3. Eisenhower established Law Day to mark the nation’s commit-
ment to the rule of law, and Congress designated May 1 as the
official date to highlight America’s jurisprudence system.
Serving in 1970 as president of the local bar was Tuskegee
native Robert E. Varner, who would be appointed a year later
as a U.S. District judge, and serve until 2000. Herman H.
Hamilton Jr. followed him as president in 1971. It was during
the early 1970s that the association’s charter was updated, and
the group reorganized as the Montgomery County Bar Associ-
ation. The next two lawyers to lead the MCBA were Robert
C. Black in 1972, and Charles E. Porter in 1973. During
this era, the members began sponsoring a community-wide
Law Day observance, and an annual meeting was held to elect
officers and directors, while new members were recognized
and added. But the most memorable times seem to be the an-
nual BBQ picnics at the farm south of Snowdoun owned by
past presidents T.B. Hill and Jimmy Carter.
The local bar’s 1974 president, Oakley W. Melton Jr.,
launched a solo firm in 1964, which would evolve into Melton,
Espy & Williams. When he served as State Bar president in
1979, he was instrumental in getting “mandatory” continuing
legal education approved, and he was a tireless Crimson Tide
fan who attended every Iron Bowl.
A Montgomery native who began his legal career in 1956,
George B. Azar served as MCBA president in 1975. Shortly
after graduating from the University of Alabama law school,
he clerked for Federal Judge Frank Johnson for two years. “My
wife had heard that the judge’s clerk was leaving, so I walked
over to his office and asked for the job. Now, you have to have
a law degree from an Ivy League school to clerk for a federal
judge. We talked about 30 minutes that day, and a couple weeks
later he called and said come in and start Monday.” George
learned some valuable lessons during his clerkship. “The judge
knew the law and expected his clerk and the lawyers who came
before him to know it too.” Although George didn’t come from
a family of lawyers, two of his brothers and sons are now in
the legal profession. For about 20 years, he represented the city
of Montgomery as outside counsel. One of the highlights of his
tenure as MCBA president was having Sen. Barry Goldwater
as a guest speaker for a Law Day event that Larry Kloess
chaired.
In 1976, Maury D. Smith assumed leadership of the local
bar. He practiced law 50 years, and established Goodwyn &
Smith with State Sen. Otis J. Goodwyn. Later they merged
with Balch & Bingham. An Excellence in Professional Ethics
Award is presented each fall in Mr. Smith’s honor.
Next, Albert W. Copeland, of Copeland Franco, served as
the MCBA president, followed in 1978 by Harry H. Perdue
Jr. Also late in 1978, Larry Kloess published a quarterly jour-
nal for its 400-plus members (known as the MCBA Docket).
The first issue debuted January 1979, as Walter R. Byars was
sworn in as the new MCBA president.
Under Mr. Byars, MCBA started hosting continuing legal ed-
ucation programs with topics like trial advocacy, appellate law,
judicial reform, and ethics. Law Day continued to grow and
The Liberty Bell Scholarship Award honored a local student
each spring. Five years later, Mr. Byars became president of the
Alabama State Bar.
That year, MCBA hosted a breakfast for U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Harry Blackmun when he visited Montgomery. The
justice discussed the challenges of being on the court during
times of social change.
As a result of these many successes, MCBA received the
Award of Merit from the American Bar for its exceptional pro-
grams in 1979. As his term came to a close, Mr. Byers said: “I
can think of no higher honor than to be elected by lawyers to
serve as president of MCBA.” And that same honor was be-
stowed upon Tommy Lawson, as he led the local bar in 1980.
Not only did Larry Kloess Jr. serve as MCBA president in
1981, but he has been the association’s unofficial historian over
the years. In 1968, this New York native came to Montgomery
shortly after law school at the University of Alabama. He
worked many years in the Veteran’s Administration, and re-
tired as a colonel having served JAG USAF Reserves. His year
as president began with a visit from the ABA president at
MCBA’s annual meeting. By now, monthly luncheons included
law-related speakers at the Whitley Hotel.
MCBA increased the legal services it provided to the poor,
and the bar’s Law Day activities expanded. Mr. Kloess was al-
ways eager to involve Maxwell AFB so school-children would
get a broader perspective, as they observed a circuit court trial,
had lunch on-base, learned about military justice, and ended
the day at the federal courthouse. The Docket continued to be
published quarterly, and the first pictorial membership direc-
tory was produced. Plus, the annual picnic had nearly 200
members and guests in attendance. Being very civic-minded,
Larry Kloess also served as president of the Montgomery Cap-
ital Rotary Club. While he doesn’t come from a family of
lawyers, he has begun a tradition in the Kloess family – with a
son and granddaughter now following in his legal footsteps.
It was during Richard Jordan’s term as MCBA president
in 1982 that video equipment was purchased for use in the
county law library and courts, allowing for video depositions.
Plus, WestLaw was installed on law library computers for
MCBA members to use.
Euel Screws, of Copeland Franco, served as MCBA’s presi-
dent in 1983, and has been thought of by colleagues as a true
“Renaissance man.” But 1983 was a significant year in the
local legal community, as Alabama Christian College (now
Faulkner) purchased Jones School of Law from the University
of Alabama and the school was relocated to Montgomery.
Another chapter in Montgomery’s legal history began in
1983 when Judge Charles Price was appointed by Gov.
George Wallace to the bench, where he would establish an
iconic career and retire 31 years later (and serve 16 years as
presiding judge). While he may not have led the local bar asso-
ciation, he certainly left a mark on the legal community.
In 1984, Henry Chappell presided over the bar association,
followed in 1985 by David Byrne, who now serves as the gov-
ernor’s chief legal advisor.
A native of Selma, James “Spud” Seale moved to Mont-
gomery in 1972 and has practiced law for 45 years, including
15 years with Hill Hill Carter. By 1986, he was named presi-
dent of MCBA, the year the association revamped its grievance
procedures. Spud recalls working closely with 1971 MCBA
President Herman Hamilton, who encouraged participation
in civic clubs and bar service. “I have thoroughly enjoyed the
practice of law,” Spud says, and he urges new lawyers to also
SEPTEMBER 2015 37

4. get involved in the local and/or state bar and support the pro-
fession. The following year, Edwin K. Livingston led the as-
sociation – the same year the new county courthouse was built
on South Lawrence Street.
And in 1988, MCBA welcomed its first woman president
Wanda D. Devereaux, who had been the first recipient in
1981 of the association’s Award of Merit for outstanding serv-
ice to MCBA. Reflecting on 1988, Wanda says, “It was a won-
derful year. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” Shortly after law school,
she moved to Montgomery with her young daughter. “Mont-
gomery has been very good to me, and a great place to raise a
child.” After clerking for an appellate judge, she took a job at
Steiner, Crum & Baker, and recalls the impact 1979 President
Walter Byars had on her. “He was a great mentor and friend,
and he encouraged me to get involved with the young lawyers
section.” She also was a part of the first Leadership Mont-
gomery class. “I feel lawyers need to give back to community
and that’s what I did,” Wanda adds. “I had 25 wonderful years
of bar service and loved every minute of it.” And now her
daughter is an attorney in Birmingham. Unfortunately
Wanda’s legal career ended about 8 years ago when she was di-
agnosed with cancer, which led to difficult treatments. But she
has stayed involved volunteering with domestic violence serv-
ices. One of her proudest accomplishments was the role she
played in helping establish the guidelines and “A/B List” for
assigning court-appointed lawyers to capital cases with indi-
gent clients.
A 1975 graduate of Harvard Law School, Bobby Segall was
selected to lead MCBA in 1989, and five years later he became
president of the State Bar. That year the bar hosted Jesse Jack-
son as a guest speaker for Law Day. Also, famed civil rights at-
torney Fred Gray was invited to speak to MCBA members in
1989, and he joined the association for the first time. In his
formative years, Bobby’s hero was Federal Judge Frank John-
son, and it was the highlight of his career to be able to clerk for
Judge Johnson in the late 1970s. “That year produced a lifetime
of memories.” He’s been glad to see more interest in the Vol-
unteer Lawyers Program, with lawyers fulfilling their obliga-
tion to improve access to justice. “It is absolutely true that I
love lawyers. They are some of the best people to be around,
and the bar brings them together,” Bobby notes. In recognition
for its excellent programs, the ABA gave MCBA its Public Serv-
ice Award in 1989.
Between 1990 and 1995, the MCBA thrived under the lead-
ership of John Pappanstos, J. Floyd Minor, Cliff Heard,
James E. Williams, Dorothy Norwood and Lee Copeland
(who is serving this year as president of the Alabama State
Bar).
Beasley Allen managing partner Thomas J. Methvin was
MCBA president in 1996, and went on to lead the Alabama
State Bar 2009-10. The practice of law has changed a lot since
he was licensed and started at the firm in 1988. Tom likes see-
ing more attorneys involved with pro bono service now. The
downturn in economy has possibly increased the demand for
those with civil legal needs, and a person’s access to justice is
often impeded. “It’s important for us to give back to the pro-
fession,” he believes. A native of Eufaula, Tom says he always
knew he wanted to be a lawyer; after all, he comes from a fam-
ily of judges and lawyers.
In 1997, William Blanchard led the Montgomery County
Bar Association.
When Mike Jackson took the reins of the county bar in
1998, he said his goal was “to increase civility in the bar by cre-
ating opportunities for lawyers to meet and talk. The bar had
started drifting into factions. By bringing all lawyers together,
my hope was to improve discourse and civility, and I believe it
worked.” Early in his career, he worked for Melton & Espy,
and past president Oakley Melton became a mentor and en-
couraged bar participation. “I believed that I could make a dif-
ference in the way the public perceived lawyers and the way
lawyers treated one another in and out of court by getting in-
volved in the MCBA,” he adds.
In 1999, not only did Laura Crum serve as MCBA president
but she was in the same role for the Junior League of Mont-
gomery. With a practice focused mostly on estates and business
planning, her entire legal career has been spent at Hill, Hill,
Carter, Franco, Cole & Black, and she says she was coached by
stalwarts of the bar, such as Harry Cole, Ralph Franco and Inge
Hill. “It has been an honor to be a member of the legal profes-
sion here. Montgomery has been home to many excellent at-
torneys, and it has been a privilege for me to work with them
and learn so much from them over the years,” Laura says. “Pro-
moting access to justice and serving the community has always
been a focus of MCBA.”
Between the years 2000 and 2010, the following lawyers
presided over the county bar:
Terry Brown, Kent Garrett,
Cole Portis, Jeffery C. Duffey,
Judge Jimmy B. Pool, C. Gib-
son Vance, Donald R. Jones,
Les Pittman, Alex Holtsford,
Patrick Sefton and Paul
Clark.
In 2011 Kendall Dunson was
chosen to lead the bar. “The op-
portunity to be the first black
president of the MCBA was an
honor.” An attorney with
Beasley Allen, Kendall was
proud that his term coincided
38 RIVER REGION LIVING
CelebratetheCentennial
Join the
Montgomery County Bar Association
for their Centennial Gala.
Thursday, October 1, 2015 – 6 p.m.
Capital City Club
Proceeds benefit the
Montgomery Volunteer Lawyer Program.
Commemorative sketches are available of the old
courthouse or the new facility.
From local artist Barbara Davis, each poster-size
hand-colored print is $60.
For gala tickets, centennial sponsorships or
courthouse prints, call 334-265-4793
or visit www.mcbar.org.
Kendall Dunson

5. with the launch of One Place Family Justice Center, an um-
brella organization that assists victims of crime, particularly
children, the elderly and those affected by domestic violence.
That year MCBA raised more than $35,000 to donate to One
Place. Also during his tenure as president, MCBA helped add
wireless access and other technology upgrades to the county
courthouse. He has been encouraged by those in his firm to be
active in the bar and other community organizations. Even
though he’s a Georgia native, Kendall says Montgomery defi-
nitely feels like home. “I have lived here since 1999, and it is a
much different and better place than it was when I arrived,
specifically the development of the downtown area.”
Next, MCBA was presided over by Mike Winter in 2012,
David Martin in 2013, and Ben Schoettker in 2014.
In 2015, the MCBA is led by Cowin Knowles, an attorney
who in 1986 joined Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak. A native of
Montgomery, his practice centers on litigation and defense
work related to personal injury. After graduating the Univer-
sity of Alabama Law School in 1985, Cowin clerked for Circuit
Judge Joseph Phelps. The young attorney quickly recognized
how well-respected and hard-working the judge was and he
wanted to emulate him. But the profession has changed signif-
icantly. “Technology has dramatically impacted the practice of
law, especially in the area of relationships between attorneys,”
Cowin notes. “Social interaction between attorneys is not what
it used to be, or needs to be. Gone are the days of docket calls
attended by 50 or so attorneys where new attorneys met older,
seasoned attorneys, and cases were moved along because at-
torneys had face-to-face opportunities to discuss cases.”
To alter that course, the MCBA is providing its nearly 800
members with more after-hours events to give attorneys op-
portunities to renew old acquaintances and meet new attor-
neys. Today’s leaders are standing on the shoulders of giants
who forged a significant path before them. And undoubtedly
these leaders will likewise pass the torch to another capable
generation of barristers. ^
SEPTEMBER 2015 39
VOLUNTEERLAWYERSPROGRAM
One of the most significant programs spearheaded by
local attorneys is the Montgomery Volunteer Lawyers
Program, which MCBA launched in April 2013 (al-
though members have taken pro bono cases for genera-
tions). MVLP enhances access to justice by providing free
legal assistance to those who meet certain requirements
(i.e., income and assets must be below a certain level).
A non-profit foundation oversees MVLP and helps
raise funds to support the program’s operations. Cur-
rently more than 440 local attorneys donate their time
and legal expertise at monthly walk-in clinics and/or by
accepting cases that are referred to them. MVLP may be
able to assist low-income residents with civil cases, such
as Chapter 7 bankruptcies, child support modifications,
child custody, uncontested divorces, landlord/tenant
matters and wills. For more information, visit
www.montgomeryvlp.org/get-assistance, or call 334-265-
0222, Ext. 2.