Jana Russell Garner Installed as 151st President of the Alabama State Bar

POINT CLEAR, Ala. – Jana Russell Garner, a solo practitioner with offices in Selma and Tuscaloosa, was installed as the 151st president of the Alabama State Bar during the Grand Convocation, the closing event of the Bar’s 2026 Annual Meeting held July 15-18, 2026. Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah H. Stewart administered the oath of office.

“As I receive this gavel, I do so with deep gratitude—gratitude for the confidence placed in me, gratitude for the people who have prepared the way, and gratitude for the opportunity to serve the lawyers of Alabama,” Garner said.

Garner’s presidential theme, Alabama Roots Run Deep, reflects both pride in the legal profession’s history and a commitment to helping it continue to grow. The theme recognizes the values that have long anchored Alabama lawyers, including integrity, professionalism, service, courage, competency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law.

“Our roots remind us that we inherited a profession built by generations of lawyers who believed this work mattered,” Garner said. “But deep roots are not meant to keep a tree frozen in place. Deep roots make growth possible.”

During her term, Garner will focus on strengthening connections among Alabama lawyers, supporting the Bar’s sections, committees, task forces and local bars, and creating practical opportunities for professional education and public service.

The Bar’s statewide continuing legal education initiative will be known as the Stamped for Success Tour. The program will bring practical and meaningful education to lawyers in communities across Alabama, helping members develop the competency and confidence needed to succeed in a changing profession.

Garner will also launch Alabama Lawyers Deliver, a series of Community Legal Help Days that will connect Alabama lawyers with people seeking assistance in communities across the state.

“If Stamped for Success is about bringing education to lawyers, Alabama Lawyers Deliver is about bringing service to the public,” Garner said. “Alabama lawyers deliver counsel. They deliver guidance. They deliver time. They deliver leadership. They deliver access to people who may not otherwise know where to turn.”

Together, the initiatives reflect the values Garner plans to emphasize throughout the year: communication, collaboration, competency, confidence, connection, community and celebration. She also plans to highlight the work Alabama lawyers are already doing to serve clients, courts, communities, colleagues and the next generation.

“The Alabama State Bar is not separate from its members. It is its members,” Garner said. “This year, I hope every Alabama lawyer will see a place to connect with the work of this Bar, whether through a section, a committee, a local bar, a CLE, a legal help day, a task force, or a simple willingness to say yes when service calls.”

A 1997 graduate of Cumberland School of Law, Garner is a solo practitioner with offices in Selma and Tuscaloosa. She represents plaintiffs and defendants, including individuals, families and businesses, in civil matters throughout Alabama, with a concentration in central and west Alabama. She also serves as a registered mediator in trial court and appellate matters.

Garner has served extensively in leadership roles within the Alabama State Bar, including multiple terms on the Executive Council. She has chaired the Bar’s Dispute Resolution Section, Solo and Small Firm Section and Pro Bono Committee and has served as an officer of the Litigation Section. She has also served on numerous Bar committees and task forces.

Garner serves as a judge on the Alabama Court of the Judiciary and as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Alabama Rules of Evidence. She is a Life Fellow of both the Alabama Law Foundation and the American Bar Foundation. Her professional recognitions include multiple Alabama State Bar President’s Awards, the Commissioners Award and the Al Vreeland Pro Bono Award.

She earned her undergraduate degree from Judson College. Garner and her husband, Paul, have two children, Fair and Sam.

“As I begin this year of service, I do so with gratitude for the past, confidence in the present, and hope for the future,” Garner said. “Let us honor the roots. Let us tend the branches. Let us celebrate the good work already growing across Alabama. And let us carry this profession forward, together.”

The Alabama State Bar is the official licensing and regulatory organization of lawyers in Alabama. Created in 1879, the Alabama State Bar became an integrated bar in 1923 by an act of the legislature. Since then, its programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system. The Alabama State Bar is dedicated to promoting the professional responsibility and competence of its members, improving the administration of justice, and increasing the public understanding of and respect for the law.

Media Contact:
Melissa Warnke, Director of Communications
Alabama State Bar
(334) 517-2218
melissa.warnke@alabar.org