The Montgomery County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Program (MVLP) selected Beasley Allen lawyer Lauren James as the 2021 Tom Methvin Lawyer of the Year recipient. The award, named after the firm’s Managing Attorney, annually honors one Montgomery lawyer based on the total number of pro bono hours or complexity of cases staffed, the impact of the pro bono work and the benefit to low-income Montgomery County residents, successful recruitment of other attorneys for pro bono representation, and proven commitment to equal access and delivery of quality legal services to low-income Montgomery County residents. Lauren also received the MVLP’s 2021 Medal of the Samaritan in recognition of her outstanding pro bono legal service.
Lauren is a lawyer in Beasley Allen’s Mass Torts Section, where she is a member of the Talcum Powder Litigation Team. She previously worked as a law clerk in the section before being hired as a lawyer. Lauren explains that she was drawn to the legal profession because of her passion for serving others.
“As a law student, I was encouraged to participate in pro bono activities. That helped create a commitment to pro bono work that has continued to this day. Pro bono work is particularly rewarding because you are serving those who would not otherwise have access to justice. Pro bono service is a lifelong commitment to obtaining justice for all people.”
– Lauren James, 2021 Tom Methvin Lawyer of the Year recipient
Last year, the group selected Lauren to serve in the MVLP Pro Bono Leadership Corps. (PBLC). The PBLC provides young lawyers with the support and training necessary to develop a strong habit of pro bono service in practice. Participants receive intensive training in various legal issues common to pro bono practice, mentoring, and other benefits to recognize their commitment to service.
Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Faulkner University, where she was inducted into Alpha Chi (national collegiate honor society) and Sigma Tau Delta (international English honor society). She earned a law degree from Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, graduating magna cum laude earlier this year. While in law school, Lauren received four Best Paper awards and the Best Brief award in Faulkner Law’s 1L Moot Court Competition. She was also a finalist in the school’s J. Greg Allen Intra-School Mock Trial Competition. Lauren was inducted into the Jones Public Interest Society, which recognizes law students for community, public, and pro bono service and received the Alabama State Bar’s Pro Bono Law Student Award. Lauren served as Vice President for the school’s Women’s Legal Society, Articles Editor for the Faulkner Law Review, a Dean’s Fellow, and a member of the Board of Advocates.
Lauren is also a member of the Alabama State Bar and its Young Lawyers and Women’s Sections. She is also a member of the American Association for Justice and Hugh Maddox Inn of Court.
The Mobile, Alabama, native now resides in Montgomery, Alabama, where she enjoys feeding the birds at the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park. She volunteers with the Montgomery Zoo and is a member of Landmark Church in Montgomery, serving as part of the Landmark Ambassadors program that welcomes new members and helps them become involved with the church.
