Tom DeLawrence and Kelly Pate Named to Alabama State Bar Diversity in the Profession Committee

Tom DeLawrence, partner in the Birmingham office and member of the Environmental & Natural Resources Practice, and Kelly Pate, partner in the Montgomery office and member of the Litigation Practice, were named to the Alabama State Bar Diversity in the Profession Committee. Kelly has served on the committee in various roles since 2016, and is co-chair of the 2019-2020 committee. 

The Alabama State Bar has over 18,000 members and is committed to advancing the principles of the legal profession through racial, ethic, gender, age, and geographic diversity. The goal of this committee is to develop relationships within and outside the Alabama State Bar to: increase educational and professional opportunities for women and minorities, utilize resources and diversity programs offered by the American Bar Association, work with the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Women’s Section, local minority bar associations and the Young Lawyers Section, and promote diversity in law school administrations.  

Tom focuses on national and state level environmental law issues—particularly administrative, legislative, enforcement/litigation, and compliance matters under the Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).    

Tom also focuses on transportation law, primarily assisting businesses and transportation companies with licensing/permitting issues in corporate transactions, as well as regulatory compliance issues involving the United States Department of Transportation (DOT)/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Kelly has an active civil litigation practice in Alabama federal and state courts. She has experience successfully representing clients in trial and through appeal. With a practice that covers a wide variety of business and employment matters, Kelly handles litigation and pre-dispute matters for private businesses, governmental entities, and higher education institutions. 

In addition, in Kelly's practice she develops policies, provides training, handles EEOC related matters, and counsels on diversity and inclusion initiatives. She works with businesses and higher education institutions through internal complaint, investigation, and grievance processes. Kelly regularly represents clients in the federal courts in Alabama, most often in the Middle District, and her practice also requires appearances for clients in Alabama's circuit courts.