Young Lawyers Division 2000-2001

Henry Hamilton III is the associate editor of The Affiliate and practices law with Parrish, Kruidenier, Moss, Dunn & Montgomery in Des Moines, Iowa.

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Where Are They Now?
Kirk McAlpin, ABA YLD Chair 1958-59

By Henry Hamilton III

As outgoing YLD Chair Rocky Rodriguez passed the gavel to fellow Floridian Jeff Paskert at the 1996 Annual Meeting, she joined a long line of past leaders whose legacy of unprecedented dedication to the spirit of professionalism and unequaled devotion to public service have taken the Division to the pinnacle of success. What became of those leaders? Where are they now. . .

This is the story of Kirk McAlpin the twenty-fifth Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division (then known as the ABA Junior Bar Conference). McAlpin served as Chair of the Division from 1958 to 1959. In a recent interview, McAlpin recalled his experiences as a member of the YLD, the senior bar, and the profession.

Getting Involved

McAlpin's bar activities began with the Georgia State Bar Young Lawyers. He served as president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Georgia Bar Association (now known as the State Bar of Georgia) in 1953-54.

McAlpin said his interest in the YLD was piqued during a planned one-day visit to the 1953 ABA Annual Meeting in Boston. McAlpin and his wife Sarah (with whom he credits all his successes) were in New York at the time of the Annual Meeting. They decided to travel to Boston for the day to support a fellow Georgian, C. Bacter Jones, who was running for Chair of the YLD. They planned to return to New York that evening. Upon their arrival in Boston they were greeted by other attendees, socialized with them, and the rest is history.

"We traveled to Boston. First, we met William and Connie Farrer from Los Angeles. We did not go to bed for twenty-four hours," McAlpin explained. "We stayed a week. We did not have any clothes except those we were wearing. We had to go out and buy clothes." The McAlpins did not miss another Annual or Midyear Meeting until 1988 and 1990. C. Bacter Jones was elected Chair of the YLD. McAlpin and his wife remain lifetime friends with the Farrers.

McAlpin served as Vice-Chair of the YLD in 1957-58, and ran unopposed for Chair at the 1958 ABA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

"Red Dog" to Friends

Gayle Gibson, YLD Chair in 1959-60, impassionedly remembered his friend Kirk "Red Dog" McAlpin. "He picked up the nickname while attending the University of Georgia. He had red hair and was a strong campus politician," Gayle said. "I met him at the 1955 ABA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was then I found out what politics was all about."

Gayle described McAlpin as a mover, shaker, and activist clearly destined for success. "He made friends with everyone. It was readily apparent he would be Chair. It was just a matter of when. You could spot the ones who were destined for Division leadership. He exhibited leadership capacity and was a hard worker."

"I have never known such a letter writer in my life," he said. Gayle was McAlpin's YLD Vice-Chair. "He would copy me in on hundreds of letters he had sent to folks he had talked with at the meetings. He would bury me with letters."

Gayle remembers McAlpin leading efforts to hold regional meetings where local chapters were encouraged to pursue public service projects. He recalled McAlpin working diligently to improve the administration of justice in traffic courts, where most citizens have their contact with the judicial system. He also recalled sacrifices McAlpin made for the betterment of the Division.

"He is a great lawyer and a tremendous gentleman. It was a pleasure to serve with him," Gayle added.

YLD Chair 1958-59

McAlpin vividly recalled several accomplishments during his term. The YLD was influential in its advocacy in support of legal aid for indigent defendants. "We circulated letters to lawyers throughout America asking them if they had any experience in representing persons in capital cases. Lawyers commented that they spent between six and eight weeks representing defendants in capital cases. They reported that not only were they not compensated, but that they had to pay the expenses."

McAlpin was part of a group which included Bill Bierbower, Lee Smith, Gayle Gibson (YLD Chair 1959-60), William Reece Smith, Jr. (YLD Chair 1960-61), Kenneth Burns (YLD Chair 1961-62), and James Stoner (YLD Chair 1962-63). They presented their findings to the U.S. Congress. The group was instrumental in acquiring pay for capital representation. "It was not the sole evidence Congress heard, but the information was effective," McAlpin explained.

The YLD, under the guidance of McAlpin, recruited government lawyers to join the ABA. He started a committee within the YLD called Lawyers in Government. McAlpin appointed Ed Rockerfeller as chair of the committee. "The program was so successful that Ross Malone, the 1958-59 ABA President, asked if he could take it over, " said McAlpin. "And he did."

It was a two-way street, McAlpin explained. "We wanted to reach all segments of the profession. We could use [the senior bar's] particular expertise and knowledge within the sections. They could see what was going on at firms and in private practice."

The Fellows of the Young Lawyers Division originated during McAlpin's term. He and others wanted to provide a vehicle through which lawyers who left the YLD could continue to help young lawyers. McAlpin served as the first Chair of the Fellows of the Young Lawyers Division. The first co-chairs were Chesterfield Smith and James Fellers (YLD Chair 1946-47).

McAlpin originated the concept of a Young Lawyers Division Assembly during his term. "The [YLD] was doing great things, but I was concerned with involving more people. I wanted more states to get involved. We created a mini-house of delegates the Assembly," he said.

McAlpin explained that before the Assembly was created, the responsibilities of the Division rested almost wholly upon the Council and Officers. "The Assembly structure gave more voice to the states. Each state had two delegates. Everything involving policy would have to go before the Assembly for a vote. Membership really picked up. People were no longer just attendees. Now they were participants." McAlpin also created the positions of director, assembly speaker, and assembly clerk.

Continued Involvement

McAlpin passed the gavel to Gibson Gayle at the 1959 ABA Annual Meeting in Miami. However, his involvement in the bar was far from over. After serving as Chair of the Fellows, McAlpin became active within the senior bar. He served as an ABA Delegate from 1959 until 1990, when an illness caused his resignation. He was a member of the Board of Governors in 1973-76. He also served as a state delegate from Georgia for twenty years beginning in 1970. He served on the Ethics Committee and was the chair of the Program and the Annual Meetings Committees.

McAlpin was eventually elected as chair of two other ABA entities. He served as Chair of the General Practice Section in 1967-68 and is still active in that section. He later helped form the ABA Senior Lawyers Division. "Economic retirement is fine, but lawyers should not have to quit practice. We thought there ought to be a vehicle for senior lawyers to continue second careers," McAlpin said. He stressed that it was important to keep great legal minds active. He was the second chair of the Senior Lawyer Division, serving from 1987 to 1989.

McAlpin's involvement continued on the state level as well. He served as president of the State Bar of Georgia in 1979-80.

His public service endeavors extended outside the confines of the ABA. He has leadership positions within the Georgia Heart Association, the Georgia Ophthalmology Foundation, the State and National Societies for the Prevention of Blindness, and his church.

Professional Experience

McAlpin graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1948. He did some post-graduate work at Columbia University Law School in New York and then returned to Savannah, Georgia, to begin solo practice. He continued in solo practice until 1953, when he joined Bouhan, Lawrence, Williams, Levy and McAlpin of Savannah. In 1963, he joined King and Spaulding where he remained until his retirement in 1986. After retiring, he returned to Savannah and revived his solo practice.

McAlpin argued two U.S. Supreme Court cases before Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., the seventh Chair of the YLD (1940-41). McAlpin said he did not know Justice Powell personally, but he had worked with him in the House of Delegates. "He was a wonderful person and still is," McAlpin said.

Benefits of Bar Involvement

McAlpin encourages young lawyers to get involved in the bar and its many sections. The national, state, and local bars provide the close association with good lawyers that is so vital to professional development and quality of life, he said.

The benefits of bar involvement include long lasting friendships, professional development, ethical awareness, and the opportunity for contributions to the public. He advises young lawyers to join the YLD, make friends, and keep them throughout life.

"I never lost the spirit of being a lawyer. A lot of it is due to the people you associate with fraternizing with good lawyers over the years just by the very nature, you become a better attorney, ethically and professionally," McAlpin stressed. "The young lawyers I met and worked with through the YLD are now active in the Senior Lawyers Division."

McAlpin said that involvement in the bar allows you to diversify and expand. "Any diversity or expansion of yourself, professionally or personally, will benefit you."

Positive Outlook

Young lawyers should be mindful of public service, maintain professional competence, seek diversity, and keep a positive outlook on life in general, McAlpin said. "Be available to the public; continue good comradeship and close friends throughout; never give up in spite of disability or adversity; never lose zest to contribute. If you learn to say today is a great day, there is no limit to what you can do that is the spirit of great lawyers."

Sidebar of McAlpin's activities:

Professional Activities
University of Georgia University Law School - 1948
University of Columbia, New York - 1949
Sole Practitioner, Savannah, Georgia - 1949-53
Partner, Bouhan, Lawrence, Williams, Levy, and McAlpin - 1953-63
Senior Partner, King and Spaulding - 1963-86
Sole Practitioner, Savannah, Georgia - 1986 to present

ABA Involvement
President, Young Lawyer Section Georgia Bar Association - 1953-54
Chair, ABA Young Lawyers Division - 1958-59
President, Fellows of the Young Lawyers Division - 1959-60
Chair, General Practice Section - 1967-69
Chair, Annual Meetings Committee - 1976
Chair, Senior Lawyers Section - 1986-87
Chair, Programs Committee
Ethics Committee