Looking back on my legal career today, I am probably the only Birmingham lawyer who had three different local groups seeking to run me out of town simply because: (a) I disturbed the “good relations” White business leaders in Birmingham had with the "Colored community,” (b) I was proficient at picking the highest caliber of legal talent for my litigation Dream Teams, and (c) I was winning all of my assigned cases. This article tells the story of the third group -- local Blac

This team of exceptionally talented lawyers and paralegals devised and perfected the art of laser litigation. This litigation technique was deplored in cases where losing was not an acceptable option. Meet the lawyers who birth laser litigation and turned winning in the courtroom into an art form.

This is the true but sad story of how and why Birmingham, Alabama Municipal Court Presiding Judge David L. Barnes lost his judgeship. In the end, unbridled sexual lust cost this longtime and distinguished jurist his judgeship.

It was the week before Christmas, 51 years ago. Mr. Charlie W. Pollard and another survivor led me to a small shack in rural Macon County, Alabama. The man inside the shack could not come to the door, but he called out for us to enter his tiny home after Mr. Pollard knocked loudly on the door and announced our presence. This man was dying from the effects of 40 years of untreated syphilis and related health problems. He was a fellow participant in the infamous Tuskegee Sy

McKinley Bailey was an incredibly brave civil rights warrior. Bailey, who had a genius IQ, was a rising GS-11 aerospace engineer at Redstone Arsenal’s U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) in Huntsville, Alabama. He specialized in designing missile guidance systems.  He was also president of his local NAACP chapter. Bailey's brainpower was mesmerizing. This is his inspirational story.

Every profession has bad employees. Police departments around the nation are no exception. Yet, we cannot have peace in the streets of America without justice, and we cannot have justice without a healthy respect for police officers and the rule of law by all Americans.

The never-ending legal battles for justice in America continue, with no end in sight. These battles are just as cruel, ugly, and vicious as they were in the 1970s. This time, there are very few lawyers who are qualified, capable, and committed to fighting and winning them.

In high school, I wanted to become a residential architect. A book I read in college inspired me to become a lawyer, instead. I have experienced a rewarding legal career and an inspirational and energizing career in international business.  My career journey has been amazing, and the opportunity zones afforded to me have been fascinating.

She was my first divorce client who was a marital rape victim. Her husband was a high-ranking state trooper. This is her incredible story.

No single person did more to minimize the adverse effects of generational white racism in Alabama's judicial system than Robert A. Martin. 

Advancements in medicine at Johns Hopkins University helped to level the judicial playing field for black lawyers in Alabama in the 1980s.

Benjamin Bryan Starr was the father of legendary NFL quarterback Bart Starr. He was also my ally in the Montgomery County courthouse.

From 1963 to 1989, Mary G. Auburtin was a court clerk in a rural Alabama county. During an era of open racism, she was a beacon of light.

This interview discussed the status of Alabama's Black citizens in 1987. How far have Blacks advanced since this 1987 interview? You decide.

Ramus Rhodes was the janitor at the University of Alabama's law school. He was my friend, mentor, and real law school professor.

My first legal case was my own.  It occurred while I was a second-year student at the University of Alabama’s School of Law.  

Mathis W. Piel, chief judge of the Montgomery City Court in the 1970s and 80s, was a flaming white racist. God ended his reign of terror.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published (via Facebook) on November 9, 2014; Republished on March 12, 2024 Scottsboro Boy Clarence Norris (left) celebrated his pardon with Dr. Levi Watkins (right) in the President's office at Alabama State University on November 29, 1976. My father told me the story of the Scottsboro Boys when I was a young boy. I never forgot it. This was the case that motivated me to become a lawyer. My father was extremely proud that I was the att

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on February 24, 2024 An Editorial Opinion On February 16, 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court...

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Originally Published (via Facebook) on April 26, 2014; Updated and Republished on February 19,...