Each year, Cumberland School of Law recognizes accomplished alumni through the Distinguished Alumni Awards. The honorees will be recognized at the law school's alumni reception on October 25. The 2024 award recipients are:
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year: Jeff Friedman, JD ’85
Given to an alumnus/na who has distinguished himself/herself in the practice of law, service to the community and leadership in the profession
Jeff Friedman is the founding partner of Friedman, Dazzio & Zulanas in Birmingham, Alabama. Admitted to practice in all Alabama state and federal courts, the United States 11th Circuit Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court, Friedman has litigated in more than 30 Alabama counties and has been admitted, on a pro hac vice basis, to litigate in the states of West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma.
Friedman is a fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates and holds an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell which is the highest rating for an attorney bestowed by that organization. He is also a member of the Judge J.E. Horton American Inn of Court, the Alabama State Bar and the Birmingham Bar Association. For the past 20 years, Friedman has represented a number of cities, counties and municipal agencies to help them recover funding for clean air and safe drinking water. To Friedman, his greatest professional honors are not tied to individual accomplishments, but the growth and good reputation of his firm.
Among many accomplishments, just a few celebrations of his success include being nominated for Public Justice’s Prestigious 2024 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his work in serving as lead trial counsel in the case of Adkisson v. Jacobs Engineering Group and serving as lead counsel in the landmark decision in the Tennessee Valley Authority environmental litigation, 2012 WL 3647704.
Additionally, he has had multiple judgments listed in the National Law Journal’s list of top cases and reported in Law 360 and other legal publications. A longtime advocate for Cumberland School of Law, Friedman said, “Since I was first invited to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Board by Judge John Carroll, it has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding opportunities of my career. It has provided me with a way to serve the law school and stay connected to Cumberland. It is exciting to see the success that has been made in the past and thrilling to witness the plans for the future of the school under Dean Blake Hudson.”
Young Alumna of the Year: Jessica Thomas, JD ’09
Given to an alumnus/na who graduated within the past 15 years and who has distinguished himself/ herself in the practice of law, service to the community and leadership in the profession
As the senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Dollar Tree, a Fortune 150 retailer, Jessica Thomas began her trailblazing career while a student at Cumberland School of Law. She was the second Black president of Cumberland’s Student Bar Association, a member of the American Journal of Trial Advocacy, a Judge Abraham Caruthers fellow, a member of the Career Services Advisory Board, and a member of the selection committee for the Harvey S. Jackson excellence in teaching award. And it was at Cumberland where she developed her love of litigation through participation in the trial advocacy program.
She began her legal career in private practice working at Bradley Arant and Ogletree Deakins law firms and continued her servant leadership journey. She has served as a fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and the board of directors for Nashville Public Television, Mount Zion Baptist Church, and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice. She was awarded the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award, Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30, and selection in the Nashville Emerging Leaders Class and the Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum. She also serves on the Cumberland School of Law Advisory Board.
Prior to joining Dollar Tree in 2023 as vice president of Labor & Employment, Thomas served as in-house counsel for companies such as Target, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., and Remington Outdoor Company.
Volunteer of the Year: Julie McMakin, JD ’09
Given to an alumnus/na who has demonstrated exceptional loyalty and commitment to Cumberland School of Law through volunteer service to the school
Julie McMakin practices criminal law as a deputy district attorney for the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Birmingham Division. As a supervisor in the office, McMakin maintains a trial docket consisting of homicide and sexual assault cases while also overseeing the DDAs assigned to the Circuit Court Courtroom. In addition, she is the office’s representative on Birmingham’s Violent Crimes Task Force and a member of the interview committee.
When not in court, McMakin spends much of her free time volunteering at Cumberland School of Law. For the past three years, she has served as an adjunct professor teaching Advanced Criminal Trial Practice for students who have an interest in criminal litigation. Her former students can be found working as prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys throughout the U.S. Additionally, she helps prepare first-year students for on-campus interviews. She has also volunteered her time to participate in panel discussions for the first-year Criminal Law classes.
Most of her spare time, however, is spent as a coach for the National Trial Team. She was a member of the team as a student and found it to be an invaluable experience, so she jumped at the chance to be involved with the program when asked. She dedicates nights and weekends coaching her team in preparation for competitions. McMakin’s teams have successfully competed at the Summit Cup in Colorado, the Syracuse National Trial Competition in New York, and at the regional and national levels of the American Association of Justice (AAJ) National Trial Competition. Notably, in 2022, her AAJ teams finished 2nd and 5th in the nation.
Friend of Cumberland: Laura Montgomery Lee
Given to a friend, although not a graduate, who has contributed time and resources to enhance the quality of the law school and the educational experience of the students
Laura Montgomery Lee is a domestic relations attorney and the managing partner of Crittenden Partners PC. She regularly volunteers her time at Cumberland School of Law, participating in mentor programs, mock interviews, panel discussions and speaking to students about the practice of law.
Lee credits a lot of her success to the wonderful mentors she had throughout the years. Lee, a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, notes that law school may have taught her the foundation of the law, but her mentors taught her how to practice law.
She said, “I was fortunate to have trial advocacy coaches, professors, employers and other members of the Birmingham legal community who were always willing to offer advice and provide guidance. Not only do I feel a need to pay it forward, but I also find that engaging with law school students teaches me something as well. I am thankful that Cumberland gives me the opportunity to interact with smart, thoughtful adults who have a fresh outlook on the practice of law.”
