Our experienced faculty
At the Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, our faculty consists of eminent scholars in fields like health law and jurisprudence. We also have professors who are case book, textbook, and University Press authors. Members of our faculty speak all over the country and even internationally. Our faculty are experts in their fields, as they should be. Every member of our faculty practiced law for some time before joining the academy, and they have real-world experience that they can bring to the classroom so that they can comment on how specific scenarios that you deal with in the classroom play out in the real world.
In addition to being experts in their fields, faculty members get to know their students on a personal level, and that is what sets our faculty apart. They love what they do, so teaching is not a burden to overcome in order to be able to do their research and writing – teaching is important to our faculty, and they are excited to facilitate the learning process. They’re eager to challenge students and to watch that transformation take place when students begin to understand a key concept.
Because we have a small faculty, most of the faculty have an open door policy. If they don’t have their door closed and their head down writing an article, most professors keep their doors open and welcome students to come and see them.
Faculty Highlight: Shirley Howell
Professor Shirley Darby Howell is one of our most dedicated faculty members. Her life experiences and integrity make her uniquely equipped to provide students with more than just the knowledge found in textbooks.
While in law school, Professor Howell developed interests in both poverty law and family law, interests that have defined and informed her career both as an attorney and a professor. In 1981, she accepted a position with the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama, a Federal program designed to provide impoverished citizens with access to the legal system, and she concentrated her attention upon issues involving public housing for the poor. She continues to regard her experiences representing the poor as being among the most compelling experiences of her life as an attorney.
Professor Howell’s private practice of law has been devoted to civil rights advocacy and issues concerning family law. She was awarded the highest professional rating for preeminence in her field of practice and for the highest levels of integrity by Martindale-Hubbell, a rating system that recognizes lawyers for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards.
Since 1983, Professor Howell has taught Family Law, Gender Discrimination, Children’s Rights, and numerous other courses at Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. She was chosen Professor of the Year in 1991 and again in 1996. A faculty office in the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law building bears Professor Howell’s name and was donated in her honor by her students.
Faculty Highlight: Donald Garner
Another dedicated and experienced professor of note at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law is Professor Donald Garner. In 1992, the New York Times called Donald Garner “a visionary of anti-smoking litigation.” Garner spent many years of his legal career bravely holding the tobacco industry accountable for the societal costs smoking imposes on the public. As a professor who teaches torts to first-year students, his real-world experiences battling against the ruthless tobacco industry are invaluable to his students.
Professor Garner has lectured and presented papers in academic and medical forums throughout the world. He has also received an unprecedented three grants, covering ten years, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in that connection, represented the American Medical Society and other public health organizations by way of filing amicus curia briefs before various appellate courts. His work has been cited by the United States Supreme Court and has provided an essential public policy foundation for the imposition of civil liability against the tobacco industry.
Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law is a small, Christian law school in Montgomery, Alabama with a mission to provide students with a unique advantage through the rigorous curriculum and hands-on experience. While providing an education anchored by not only intellect but also character and service, Faulkner’s Jones School of Law seeks students who will not only succeed academically but who also have a desire to use their legal degree to seek justice and serve their communities – wherever that may be. Contact Faulkner Law today at (334) 386-7910.