Jeff Sessions has been the U.S. Attorney General and thus in the president’s cabinet. He’s been a U.S. Senator from Alabama. He’s been the Alabama Attorney General.
But he was not in the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor — until now.
Tuesday night, in a ceremony in Mobile, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III was inducted into the 2025 class of the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor by the dean of the University of Alabama School of Law, William Brewbaker.
The hall, which was established in 2004, inducts lawyers who have made significant contributions to the state's legal profession.
Sessions was among the four 2025 inductees into the Hall.
Others include the late CC. Bo Torbert, former Alabama Chief Justice, the late Tommy Wells, Jr., former president of the American Bar Association, and University of Alabama professor Pamela Bucy Pierson.
Sessions served as the 84th U.S. Attorney General from 2017 to 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. Prior to that, he was a U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1997 to 2017.
His career in public service began as a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1981 to 1993, and later as Alabama Attorney General from 1995 to 1997.
Sessions’ public interest started when he was an undergraduate student at Huntingdon College in Montgomery. He was president of the College Republicans and remained a staunch Republican throughout his career. He was credited with organizing the election of U.S. Senator Jeremiah Denton in 1980.
He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1973 to 1986, reaching the rank of Captain.
During his time as U.S. Attorney General, Sessions implemented a zero-tolerance policy on illegal entry at the southern border. He was blamed by Democrats and media critics for family separations. His policy was a precursor to the current border policies, which have achieved an almost total stop to illegal entries at the southern border.
Sessions had a contentious relationship with President Trump, mainly due to his recusal from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He eventually resigned at Trump's request in November 2018.
After his resignation, Sessions attempted a political comeback in 2020, running for his former U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, but lost in the Republican primary to Tommy Tuberville, who currently holds the seat.
He and his wife, Mary Blackshear Sessions, have three children and ten grandchildren so far.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
