When Jana Russell Garner, JD '97, was installed as the 151st president of the Alabama State Bar in July 2026, she became the first female alumna from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law to serve in the role. She also became just the third attorney from Dallas County to lead the organization.
For Garner, the achievement is less about personal recognition and more about a lifelong commitment to serving others.
That commitment was instilled early.
Garner's father, a pediatric dentist, dedicated his career to caring for children across Alabama, including many Medicaid patients. For Garner, he modeled a version of professional success rooted in purpose.
"I saw him live out the love of his profession every day while also making other people's lives better," Garner said. "He earned a living while doing all of that, which was a really nice balance and gave me good perspective on what I wanted to do."
His example helped shape the path she would eventually follow.
"Because of how I was raised, I knew I wanted to do that in my career," she said.
Today, Garner operates her solo practice with offices in Selma and Tuscaloosa, serving clients throughout central and west Alabama. Her reach extends across approximately 15 counties, but her impact on the legal profession stretches even farther.
Her journey to the Alabama State Bar presidency began with a simple decision to become involved.
After attending her first State Bar annual meeting in 2011, Garner was encouraged by fellow attorneys to pursue a leadership role. The following year, she was elected to represent Alabama's Fourth Judicial Circuit, which includes Dallas, Bibb, Hale, Perry and Wilcox counties. She went on to serve three consecutive three-year terms as a commissioner and later held positions on the Alabama State Bar's Disciplinary Commission and the Alabama Court of the Judiciary.
Throughout that journey, the encouragement of other lawyers made all the difference.
That support was especially meaningful as she pursued the presidency, noting that women who had previously served as Alabama State Bar president encouraged her candidacy.
Now as president, Garner hopes to honor the Alabama State Bar’s history while helping it navigate the future. Her presidential theme for 2026-27, "Roots Run Deep," reflects both ideas.
The theme draws on Alabama's longstanding contributions to the legal profession, particularly its leadership in legal ethics. Long before the American Bar Association adopted a formal code of ethics, Alabama lawyers developed a written code that served as a model for the nation.
Garner believes those roots continue to strengthen the profession today.
She points to Alabama's integrated, mandatory bar structure, which is relatively uncommon nationwide, as another source of institutional strength and collegiality among attorneys.
At the same time, she recognizes the profession must continue adapting to change, including the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence.
Garner views AI as a tool that can help lawyers work more efficiently, much like electronic filing systems transformed legal practice after initially being met with skepticism.
"AI is a tool for lawyers," she said. "Lawyers are not a tool for AI."
While the legal landscape has evolved significantly since her days as a Cumberland School of Law student, Garner still credits the law school with providing an important foundation for her career.
She fondly recalls professors such as Stone, Martin and Featheringill, whose influence helped shape her legal education and professional development.
More broadly, Cumberland reinforced the value of preparation, professionalism and relationships, lessons that would serve her well throughout decades of practice and leadership.
Looking back, Garner sees a clear connection between professional involvement and career growth. She encourages today's law students and young alumni to embrace opportunities for service, build relationships and remain open to unexpected paths.
Her advice is straightforward: have an open mindset, find your tribe and don't let barriers become roadblocks. Instead, view those obstacles as opportunities to find a better solution.
For Garner, that mindset helped turn a first bar meeting into more than a decade of service and ultimately the presidency of the Alabama State Bar, exemplifying the values of leadership, service and commitment to community that have guided her career from the beginning.
The roots, it seems, do run deep.
