Alabama Law Welcomes Three New Faculty Members
Travis Ramey
Frederick Spight
Susan Donovan, Assistant Professor
Travis Ramey, Assistant Professor of
Frederick Spight, Visiting Assistant
of Clinical Legal Instruction in
Clinical Legal Instruction and Director
Professor of Clinical Legal Instruction
Residence, Director of the Mediation
of the Appellate Advocacy Clinic
and Interim Director of the
Clinic, and Interim Director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic
Before joining The University of Alabama School of Law faculty in 2023, Professor Ramey was a partner at Burr & Forman LLP, where his practice focused on appellate matters. During his time in private practice, Professor Ramey litigated more than 100 appeals in multiple state and federal courts, including representing parties on the merits and as amici curiae in the Supreme Court of the United States.
Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic
Susan Donovan
Professor Donovan serves as Director of the Mediation Law Clinic—which is devoted to family law—and she is a full-time member of the clinical professional staff. She also teaches courses in Juvenile Justice, Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Legal Profession. Professor Donovan received her B.A. magna cum laude from Birmingham Southern in 1984 and her J.D. with honors from Duke in 1987. She practiced with Howrey & Simon in D.C. and returned to Birmingham to work her way to partnership at Bradley Arant. She was in private practice in Tuscaloosa from 2001 to 2009, and served as a part-time staff attorney for the Law School’s Elder and Domestic Violence Clinics in 2008-09. Much of her private practice in Tuscaloosa was in family law, and she served as guardian ad litem on appointed and pro bono cases as well as an advocate in juvenile, family, and circuit courts.
Professor Ramey received his J.D., summa cum laude, from The University of Alabama School of Law in 2011. His scholarship focuses on appellate procedure and tort law. He currently serves as a member of the Standing Committee on the Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure.
Professor Spight is the Interim Director of the Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Clinic. He formerly practiced with Legal Services of Alabama where he established the John Lewis Community Growth Project. This initiative helps qualifying clients establish small businesses and nonprofits, and it supports other community centered organizations with their basic transactional legal needs. Professor Spight was also a fines and fees attorney, focusing on debt assessed against individuals due to criminal convictions. In this role, he practiced state-wide in municipal, district, and circuit courts. Most recently, Professor Spight was the Policy Director of Alabama Appleseed where he drafted legislation and lobbied in the State legislature. He oversaw the passage of legislation that affects thousands of low-income Alabamians.
