Legal Services Alabama

legal services Alabama

Annual Justice, Fairness and Hope Awards

MAY 7th, 2025

12:00 PM CST

RSA Activity Center
201 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, AL 36104

JUSTICE AWARDEES
- Terri Sewell, 2020
- Judge John England, 2021
- LaVeeda Battle, 2022
- Richard Shelby, 2023
- Spencer Bachus, 2024
FAIRNESS AWARDEES
- Mary Margaret Bailey, 2020
- Beasley Allen Law Firm, 2021
- John Brinkley, 2022
- Taze Shepard, 2023
- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, 2024
HOPE AWARDEES
- John Lewis, posthumously, 2020
- Stacey Abrams, 2021
- Fred Gray, 2022
- Merceria Ludgood, 2023
- Alabama Forward & Evan Milligan, 2024
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Join us for a luncheon celebration to honor Alabama changemakers who have advanced access to justice. Each year, LSA recognizes advocates from around the state whose work embodies our core values of Justice, Fairness and Hope.

All sponsorships and ticket donations directly support the endowment of our John Lewis Legal Fellowship fund.

Individual tickets and tables for 8 available.

2024 Host Committee

Tommy Wells, Honorary Chair
Birmingham
 
Mary Margaret Bailey
Mobile
 
Alexia Borden
Birmingham
 
John Brinkley
Huntsville
 
Stephanie Bryan
Atmore
 
Caroline Clark
Montgomery
 
Judge John England
Tuscaloosa
Fred Gray
Tuskegee
 
Dawn Hathcock
Montgomery
 
Josh Hayes
Tuscaloosa
 
Ted Hosp
Montgomery
 
Tom Methvin
Montgomery
 
Yvonne Saxon
LSA Board President
 
John Saxon
Birmingham

2024 Recipients

Tommy Wells Justice Award
Representative Spencer Bachus, III

Taze Shepard Pro Bono Fairness Award Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP

John Lewis Hope Award 
Evan Milligan, Executive Director, on behalf of Alabama Forward

LSA launched the John Lewis Legal Services Fellowship program in the spring of 2019, in preparation for the 55th Anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act. We understood that the forefront of this movement was a student leader from Alabama, John Lewis, whose bravery, dedication, and hard work will forever be engraved in the fabric of our country's history. Congressman John Lewis dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he called "The Beloved Community" in America. In the spring of 2020, LSA began a national search for the first John Lewis Fellows, resulting in 6 law students from across the country committed to providing free legal assistance to individuals in underserved and underrepresented communities to ensure equal access to justice for all citizens in Alabama.

2023 Recipients

Tommy Wells Justice Award
Senator Richard Shelby

Pro Bono Fairness Award
Taze Shepard, accepted posthumously by Taze’s family

John Lewis Hope Award
Merceria Ludgood

Thank you to our 2024 Justice, Fairness, & Hope Awards Sponsors

2022 Recipients

Tommy Wells Justice Award
LaVeeda Battle

Pro Bono Fairness Award
John Brinkley

John Lewis Hope Award
Fred Gray

2021 Recipients

Tommy Wells Justice Award
Judge John England

Pro Bono Fairness Award
Beasley Allen Law Firm

John Lewis Hope Award
Stacey Abrams

2020 Recipients

Tommy Wells Justice Award
Congresswoman Terri Sewell

Pro Bono Fairness Award
Attorney Mary Margaret Bailey

John Lewis Hope Award
Congressman John Lewis,
accepted posthumously by Henry Grant Lewis