Blake Williams and Matt Glover Featured in ALAJ Journal

Blake Williams and Matt Glover from Prince Glover Hayes are featured in the latest Alabama Association for Justice Journal edition! Please join us in congratulating both attorneys on this achievement.

Blake Williams interviewed the past president of ALAJ, Josh Hayes. In this interview, the two discussed the law, Hayes’ biggest inspirations, and what makes him a good lawyer. Williams writes:

For those of you who do not know Josh, he is a partner at the Tuscaloosa-based law firm of Prince Glover Hayes. Over his 20+ year career, Josh has developed a very successful plaintiff’s civil litigation practice. That success has been honored by every “top lawyer” organization that you can think of. In addition to a successful law practice, Josh has served the practice of law and the community in many ways. He is a past-President of the Alabama Association for Justice (2019-2020) and past Chair of the Emerging Leaders Section. He currently serves on the Board of Directors, Elections Committee, Executive Committee, and Legislative Committee for the Alabama Association for Justice. In 2020, Josh was named a West Alabama Young Leader of the Year by the United Way of West Alabama. In 2023, he was named as a Fellow by the Alabama Law Foundation, in recognition of his outstanding dedication to his profession and community.

Williams goes on to talk to Hayes about his involvement with the ALAJ, with Hayes saying:

I became involved with ALAJ as soon as I possibly could upon being admitted to the bar in 2004. I had previously worked in government and politics and knew from those experiences that ALAJ is the only group looking out for the rights of ordinary citizens who happen to be civil litigants from the plaintiff’s side and for our court system in general. With that knowledge along with my awareness of the forces out to harm our clients, evade accountability, and put us out of business, there really is no choice but to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Thankfully, my firm also supports ALAJ 100% and allows me to spend lots of time on our issues even today. ALAJ is a worthy cause and we need everyone’s help.

Click here to access the Fall 2024 version of the ALAJ Journal, where you can read Williams’ interview with Josh Hayes in full.

Matt Glover is also featured in this publication, authoring an article entitled “What is a Reporter’s Privilege and How Far Can It Be Applied in a Libel Case?” This article discusses a legal concept called “reporter’s privilege,” which is a protection journalists have when it comes to revealing their sources. Specifically, it examines Alabama’s laws on this topic and how courts have interpreted them. Glover writes:

Last year, I provided an article entitled “The Basics of Seeking Compensatory and Punitive Damages in a Libel Case.” In continuation of the basics regarding libel actions, this article will focus on the existence of the reporter’s privilege. Such a privilege is often cited to protect from disclosure the identity of anonymous sources. This article will examine the Alabama state shield law, the limits of the codified privilege and any constitutional protections beyond the statute.

Glover goes on to discuss the Alabama statute and case law, stating that “any claim of a reporter’s privilege will be strictly scrutinized and given the least restrictive application in civil actions.” He explains that Alabama’s law does offer some protection for journalists but is not as strong as in other states. Courts often interpret it narrowly, meaning journalists may still have to reveal details that could expose their sources, especially in defamation cases.

You may access Glover’s article at the link above.

Once again, we congratulate Blake and Matt for their contributions to the latest edition of ALAJ Journal!