NOVEMBER 2008 • VOL. 69, NO. 6 Ten Tips to ImproveImprove Your Case on Appeal page 443443 One malpractice insurer is still here and continues to maintain stable premium rates! AIM: For the Difference! Attorneys Insurance Mutual Telephone (205) 980-0009 of Alabama, Inc. Toll Free (800) 526-1246 200 Inverness Parkway FAX (205) 980-9009 Birmingham , Alabama 35242-4813 "A Mutual InsuranceCompany Organized by and for AlabamaAttorneys" www.AttyslnsMut.com - Association Sponsored Individual Health Insurance featuring Discounted Rates from WORLD ® I INSURANCE and Enhanced Benefits from 1\Aetna" Through im) ISI ALABAMA - INsi/i!NtE SPECIALISTS, INC . EST.1959 Health Plan Administrator 1-888-ISI- l 959 www.isi1959.com - Click on Health Insurance Center 49 Years and Counting! Alabama Bar Institute for Continuing Legal Education ABICLE will celebrate 50 years of service in 2009. Founded in 1959 by The University of Alabama School of Law and the Winter Calendar 2008 Alabama State Bar, ABICLE has been providing quality professional education to NOVEMBE:R 6 Professionalism Montgomery Alabama lawyers ever since. 7 Social Security Disability Birmingham Thank you for making us a 14 Bankruptcy Law Update Birmingham part of your practice! 20 Alabama Update Mobile 21 Alabama Update Montgomery 21 Employment Law Birmingham DECEMBER 5 Estate Planning Birmingham 5 Trial Skills Montgomery 9 Alabama Update Huntsville 10 Trial Skills Huntsville 111 Domestic Practice Birmingham 12 Condominium Law Birmingham 12 Tort Law Update Birmingham 17 Law Practice and Depositions: Tips From the Maste:rs Birmingham 17 Video Replays Tuscaloosa 18 Trial Skills Birmingham 19 Alabama Update Birmingham McElroy's Alabama Evidence 2007/2008 Supplement iis now available at ABICLE Order now at (800) 627-6514 (800) 627-65 4 T HE UNIVERSITY OF www.abide.org ALABAMA SCHOOL OF LAW On the NOVEMBER 2008 • VOL. 69, NO. 6 Cover Frank M. Johnson, Jr., Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Annex), as seen from the Montgomery campus of Troy University The original courthouse was completed and occupied in 1933. The annex, shown on the cover, was completed in 2002 and has a radial design that is stylistically compatible with the original building. In This Issue Photo by Paul Crawford, JD, crawfordpaul@m ac.com 410 The Farm Bill Opens Doors for Black Farmers Departments By Alyssa N. Daniels and Kristian Rasmussen 395 President’s Page They Were Lawyers 412 ASB Responds to Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis 399 Executive By Thomas J. Methvin Director’s Report ASB’s Long-Range Plan: Direction and 416 The Insurance Tripartite Relationship: Accomplishment for the “Who Is My Client Anyway?” Profession By Stephen E. Whitehead and Jennifer W. Wall 405 Memorials 409 Important Notices 426 The Current Status of Judicial Accountability Judicial Award of Merit By J. Douglas McElvy 415 Bar Briefs 434 Judicial Review of Arbitration Awards in 451 Young Lawyers’ the Alabama Courts Section By William H. Hardie, Jr. 452 CLE Corner Good, Better, Best 443 Ten Tips to Improve Your Case on Appeal 473 Disciplinary By Scott Burnett Smith Notices 447 Uniform Law Commission 455 Opinions of the Concludes 117th Annual Meeting General Counsel Corporation and Indiv idual By Representative Cam Ward Directors 457 Legislative 448 State Bar Actively Addressing Growing Wrap-Up Hispanic Population Business and N on-Profit By Enrique J. Gimenez and Wendy Padilla-Madden Entities Code 477 About Members, 461 Supreme Court of Alabama Order Among Firms The Alabama Lawyer 393 ALABAMA STATE BAR Robert A. Huffaker, M ontgomery......................................Chair and Editor L inda G. Flippo, Birmingham ...................V ice-Chair and Associate Editor 415 Dexter Avenue Brad Carr, M ontgomery....................................................Staff L iaison and Director of Communications Montgomery, AL 36104 M argaret L . M urphy, M ontgomery..................................Staff L iaison and CLE Publications Director (334) 269-1515 M arcia N. Daniel.....................Communications & Publications Assistant COURSE (800) 354-6154 Board of Editors FAX (334) 261-6310 Daniel J . Britt, M illbrook • Russell C. Buffkin, M obile • Greg C. Cook, Birmingham • K atharine A.W. Coxwell, M onroeville • J ohn G. Dana, Birmingham • J . M ark SEARCH E-mail: [email protected] Debro, Huntsville • N. Christian Glenos, Birmingham • C. Paige Goldman, Birmingham • Wilson F. Green, Tuscaloosa • F.M . Haston, III, Birmingham • Web site: www.alabar.org Frederick G. Helmsing, J r., M obile • Erik S. Heninger, Birmingham • Anne. S. Hornsby, Tuscaloosa • J ames F. Hughey, III, Birmingham • B. K eith J ackson, ALABAMA STATE BAR STAFF Birmingham • Emily C. M arks, M ontgomery • Timothy B. M cCool, Carrollton • Reta A. M cK annan, Huntsville • Derek F. M eek, Birmingham • William J . M oore, J r., The Alabama Mandatory CLE Commission Executive Director ....................................Keith B. Norman Enterprise • George R. Parker, M ontgomery • Gabrielle E. Reeves, M obile • Robert Executive Assistant .....................................Diane Locke W. Rieder, J r., Huntsville • Romaine S. Scott, III, Birmingham • M ichael A. Shaw, Daphne • Christopher N. Smith, M ontgomery • Chad E. Stewart, Enterprise • Network Administrator............................Wayne Hughes Aldos L . V ance, Birmingham • M ark T. Waggoner, Birmingham • J ohn R. Wallis, continually evaluates and approves in-state, Computer Programmer ............................Dolan L. Trout Birmingham • Tari D. Williams, Tuscaloosa Scanning Operator .........................................Kristi Neal Officers Web Administrator...................................Willie Murphy J. M ark White, Birmingham..........................................................................President as well as nationwide, programs which are Thomas J . M ethvin, M ontgomery .......................................................President-elect Assistant Executive Director ..............Edward M. Patterson Samuel N. Crosby, Daphne.................................................Immediate Past President Administrative Assistants ................................Rita Gray Pamela H. Bucy, Tuscaloosa..................................................................V ice President Ke ith B. Norman, Mo ntgomery ...................................................................Secretary maintained in a computer database. All are Marie Updike J ames M . Terrell, Birmingham..................................Y oung L awyers’ Section President Director of Regulatory Programs....................Angela Parks Board of Commissioners CLE Administrative Assistant.................Carol Thornton 1st Circuit, Ronnie E. K eahey, Grove Hill • 2nd Circuit, M ichael E. J ones, L uverne • identified by sponsor, location, date and Regulatory Programs/PHV Assistant ..Cathy Sue McCurry 3rd Circuit, Christina D. Crow, U nion Springs • 4th Circuit, J . Garrison Thompson, Selma • 5th Circuit, Randall S. Haynes, Alexander City • 6th Circuit, Place No. 1, R. Director of Communications ................................Brad Carr Cooper Shattuck, Tuscaloosa • Place No. 2, Alyce M . Spruell, Tuscaloosa • 7th specialty area. For a listing of current CLE Publications Director......................Margaret L. Murphy Circuit, J ohn M . Gruenewald, Anniston • 8th Circuit, Phil D. M itchell, Decatur • 9th Communications and Publications Circuit, W. N. Watson, Fort Payne • 10th Circuit, Place No. 1, Anthony A. J oseph, Assistant...............................................Marcia N. Daniel Birmingham • Place No. 2, S. Greg Burge, Birmingham • Place No. 3, George M . Neal, J r., Birmingham • Place No. 4, Phillip W. M cCallum, Birmingham • Place No. opportunities, visit the ASB Web site, Membership Services Director.........................Mary Corbitt 5, Gregory H. Hawley, Birmingham • Place No. 6, M aibeth J . Porter, Birmingham • Membership Administrative Assistant ..........Emily Farrior Place No. 7, J oseph A. Fawal, Birmingham • Place No. 8, Robert E. M oorer, Director of Admissions ........................Dorothy D. Johnson Birmingham • Place No. 9, J ames R. Pratt, III, Birmingham • Bessemer Cutoff, William A. Short, J r., Bessemer • 11th Circuit, Albert J . Trousdale II, Florence • www.alabar.org/cle. Admissions Administrative Assistants .........Heidi Alves 12th Circuit, Richard W. Whittaker, Enterprise • 13th Circuit, Place No. 1, Henry A. Sonia Douglas Callaway III, M obile • Place No. 2, William M . Cunningham, M obile • Place No. 3, Bookkeeper......................................................Gale Skinner Billy C. Bedsole, M obile • Place No. 4, J uan Ortega, M obile • Place No. 5, M ary M argaret Bailey, M obile • 14th Circuit, J ames R. Beaird, J asper • 15th Circuit, ASB Foundation Assistant.............................Ann Rittenour Place No. 1, L es Hayes III, M ontgomery • Place No. 2, J ames H. Anderson, Graphic Arts Director ...................................Maggie Stuller M ontgomery • Place No. 3, Donald R. J ones, J r., M ontgomery • Place No. 4, J . Graphic Arts Assistant..........................Roderick Palmer Cole Portis, M ontgomery • Place No. 5, Sim Penton, M ontgomery • Place No. 6, L ee H. Copeland, M ontgomery • 16th Circuit, F. M ichael Haney, Gadsden • 17th Receptionist ............................................Stephanie Oglesby Circuit, K . Scott Stapp, Demopolis • 18th Circuit, Ramona M orrison, Columbiana • Director of Service Programs.................Laura A. Calloway 19th Circuit, Brian D. M ann, Wetumpka • 20th