Q. Tell us about yourself and your practice.
A. Senior Partner, Founder & President
McPhillips Shinbaum, LLP. Email: jmcphillips@msg-Iawfirm.com
516 South Perry Street Phone: 334-262-1911
Montgomery, Alabama 36101
Personal:
Wife: J. Leslie McPhillips (Married 35 years)
August 14, 2009
Born: Nov 13, 1946
Birmingham, Alabama
Daughter: Rachel McPhillips Plucker (31), elementary teacher in Helena, Ala (near
Birmingham) (first McPhillips' grandchild Eva Laurel Plucker born May '08)
Daughter: Grace McPhillips Lunsford (28), actress in Chicago, and co-owner of GreenDream
Business
Son: David McPhillips (19), student at Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa
Home Town: Montgomery, Ala. (62-64; 75-09); Cullman, Ala" (46-59)
Educational Background:
Sewanee Military Academy, 1959-1964; Princeton University, 1964-1968, A.B. cum laude in
history; and Columbia University Law School, 1968-1971, J.D. (Juris Doctor) Received
Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 2002 from the Tennessee School of Religion, and
Honorary Doctor of Religious Humanities degree in 2002 fiom the Global Evangelical Christian
College and Seminary.
Career Highlights:
Associate Attorney, Davis, Polk & Wardwell, New York, NY (1971-1973), Associate Counsel,
American Express Company (1973-1975); Assistant Attorney General, State of Alabama
1975-1977 Sr. Partner, President & founding Attorney, McPhillips Shinbaum, L.,LP. &
predecessor firms, 1977-2009 Admitted: New York Bar, 1972; Alabama Bar, 1975; Supreme
Court of Alabama, 1975; Supreme Court of Alabama, 1975; Supreme Court of United States, 1976,
and many federal court bars
Professional Affiliations:
American Association of Justice (1979-2009); Alahama Association of Justice (1979-2009);
American Bar Association (1972-2009); Alabama Bar Association (1975-2009); Montgomery
County Bar Association (1975-2009); Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Assn, (1980-2009);
Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Assoc, (1980-2009); and Association of the Bar of the City
of New York (1972-2009), Ordained minister, Global Evangelical Christian College Seminary
& Accrediting Commission, January, 2005
Civic Affiliations:
Co-founder (1981), and member, Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church (1981-2007); member,
Holy Spirit Anglican Church (2007-2009); Co-founder (1987), and bomd member ofthe Scott &
Zelda Fitzgerald Museum; Co-founder (2003), president and bomd chair of the McPhillips
International Center for Religious and Racial Reconciliation; National board member, Anglicans
for Life; state board member, Alabama Lawyers for Life; board member ofthe Alabama World
Affairs Council (1979-2009), member Montgomery Lions Club (1976-2009); member, Board of
Visitors, St. James School, Montgomery
Public Distinctions:
In an Associated Press feature story in state-wide newspapers in 1983, McPhillips was deemed the
"public watchdog of Alabama", a 1984 Montgomery Advertiser column named McPhillips the
"private attorney general of Alabama" In the 1997 Montgomery Advertiser "Reader"s Choice
Award," McPhillips was voted by the readers ofthe Montgomery Advertiser as "Best Attorney in
Montgomery" McPhillips is the subject of a book first published in 2000 and republished in 2005
entitled "The People's Lawyer, the Colorful Life and Times of Julian L. McPhillips, Jr"
Honors and Awards:
Candidate, Alabama Attorney General, 1978 (finished 2nd in 9 candidate race), Candidate, U,S,
Senate 2002 (made Democratic Primary runoff, but lost); Twice elected delegate to Democratic
National Convention 1980 and 2000 Chairman, Law School Senate, Columbia Law School (1969-1971);
All-American collegiate wrestler (hm) at Princeton (1967); twice Eastern AAU
heavyweight wrestling champion (1971; 1973); 3'd place, National AAU Championship
Tournament, 1973, in 220lb class; five-time member' ofNew York Athletic Club wrestling team,
winner of National AAU Championship, 1968-1973; finalist in the 1972 Olympic tryouts, 2201b
class, Winner of 1985 Communication & Leadership Award, Toastmaster's International; Winner of
four awards fiom Southern Christian Leadership Conference: Leadership Award (2000),
Legacy of the Dreamer Award (2001), Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Consciousness Award
(2003), and Humanitarian Award (2005) - presented jointly to Julian and Leslie McPhillips
Alabama State Association of Elks "Humanitarian Award" (2008); Alabama Citizens for Life
"Individual Community Leader Award" (2008).
Publications:
Author, "From Vacillation to Resolve: The Role of French Communist Party in the Resistance
Movement Against the Nazis" 1939-45 (unpublished thesis in 1968 at Princeton); Co-author, "The
People's Lawyer, the Colorful Life and Times of Julian L. McPhillips, Jr," (2nd edition)
(NewSouth Books, 2005); Author: History of Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church (NewSouth
Books, 2005)
Q. Many people have never called a lawyer before, what should they expect when they call your office?
A. Our receptionist will inquire as to the type of case you have and then either schedule an appointment for you to visit with one of our attomeys, or immediately place you on the phone with an attomey at that time.
Q. Do you accept any of the pre-paid “legal plans” that are offered to help with legal fees?
A.We do not accept pre-paid legal plans.
Q. How does one know if s/he has a case?
A. An attomey must be consulted, and all the facts reviewed, before it is determined whether or not a case exists.
Q. What must a plaintiff prove to recover for an assault or battery?
A. In any civil case, the plaintiff must prove that a certain negligent or willful act approximately caused an injury, or that someone breached a contract, or violated some other law giving rise to a remedy.
Q. What are the processes to follow in filing a case?
A. Either a claim ot lawsuit must be filed with the appropriate clerk's office in the county where the matter occured or where the Defendant or Plaintiff reside, depending on the circumstances that make up the claim.
Q. What if the injury occurred in a different state?
A. Occasionally, we settle claims for injuried that occur in other states. However, if we feel the matter cannot be resolved without filing a lawsuit, we will typically associate counsel in other states to assist in filing said matter in the appropriate court
Q. What are the main things to keep in mind in a case?
A. Patience is a necessity. Some cases can be resolved quickly, while others can take years to finalize.
Q. How can a previous injury impact on a current case?
A. If a party sustains aggravation to a pre-existing injury, that party may recover damages associated with said injury, depending, as always, on the circumstances. |
