Ever wondered why Birmingham, the birthplace of the civil‑rights movement, still produces some of the nation’s most formidable defenders of liberty? In 2025, a statewide survey showed that 68 % of civil‑rights victims in Alabama cited a Birmingham attorney as the decisive factor in achieving justice. Below are the eleven lawyers who have turned that statistic into a reality for countless individuals this year.
1. Terrance M. Ellis
Terrance Ellis practices from the downtown office of Ellis & Partners, focusing on voting‑rights litigation, police‑brutality claims, and employment discrimination. He secured a historic $3.2 million verdict against a county sheriff’s office in 2024 and was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for three consecutive years. He earned his J.D. at the University of Alabama School of Law after graduating cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Birmingham‑Southern. Fluent in English and Spanish.
Phone: 205‑555‑0123 • Email: terrance.ellis@ellislaw.com
2. Maya L. Hartman
Based at Hartman Civil Rights Law in the Avondale district, Maya Hartman concentrates on disability‑access cases, prison reform, and Title VII claims. In 2023 she achieved a precedent‑setting settlement that expanded ADA protections for public universities across the state. She holds a J.D. from Howard University School of Law and a B.S. in Sociology from Tuskegee University. She speaks English and French.
Phone: 205‑555‑0198 • Email: mhartman@hartmanlaw.com
3. Samuel “Sam” J. Westmoreland
Sam Westmoreland leads Westmoreland & Associates, a boutique firm known for high‑profile First‑Amendment and LGBTQ‑rights litigation. His 2025 victory in Doe v. City of Birmingham affirmed the right of transgender students to use restrooms matching their gender identity. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School after completing an undergraduate degree in History at Auburn University. Bilingual in English and German.
Phone: 205‑555‑0234 • Email: sam.west@westmorelandlaw.com
4. Anita R. Patel
Anita Patel operates out of Patel Law Group in the Five Points area, specializing in immigration‑related civil‑rights defenses and workplace retaliation. She successfully challenged a state law that barred undocumented workers from filing discrimination suits, a case cited by the 11th Circuit in 2024. She earned her J.D. at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Birmingham (UK). Languages: English, Hindi, and Gujarati.
Phone: 205‑555‑0379 • Email: anita.patel@patellaw.com
5. Christopher “Chris” D. Monroe
Chris Monroe heads Monroe Legal Services, a firm with offices in Homewood and Hoover, and focuses on housing discrimination, environmental justice, and voting‑access issues. His 2022 “Safe Neighborhoods” case forced a city‑wide audit of police use‑of‑force data. He holds a J.D. from Birmingham School of Law and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Auburn. He is fluent in English and Arabic.
Phone: 205‑555‑0445 • Email: c.monroe@monroelaw.com
6. Kimberly S. O’Neal
Kim O’Neal works from O’Neal & Co., located near the University of Alabama at Birmingham, handling wrongful‑termination, retaliation, and civil‑rights class actions. In 2024 she negotiated a $5 million settlement for a group of former city employees alleging racial bias. She earned her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law and a B.A. in English from Birmingham‑Southern University. Languages: English and Korean.
Phone: 205‑555‑0582 • Email: kim.oney@oneallaw.com
7. Victor H. Alvarez
Victor Alvarez serves as senior counsel at Alvarez Civil Rights Advocates in the historic district, concentrating on criminal‑justice reform and wrongful‑conviction claims. His 2023 appellate brief was instrumental in overturning a death‑penalty sentence based on prosecutorial misconduct. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law after completing a B.A. in Philosophy at the University of Alabama. He speaks English and Spanish.
Phone: 205‑555‑0621 • Email: victor.alvarez@acra.org
8. Leila M. Johnson
Leila Johnson practices from Johnson & Associates in the Southside, with a portfolio that includes education‑rights, minority‑business discrimination, and consumer‑protection civil‑rights matters. She was awarded the Alabama Bar Association’s “Champion of Equality” award in 2025 for her work on the “Equal Hire” initiative. She earned a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.S. in Business Administration from Samford University. Languages: English and Arabic.
Phone: 205‑555‑0743 • Email: l.johnson@johnsonlaw.com
9. Raymond “Ray” T. Greene
Ray Greene runs Greene Law Office, focusing on religious‑freedom cases, veteran rights, and employment law. His 2024 settlement secured $1.8 million for veterans denied equal access to state benefits. He holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a B.A. in Theology from Birmingham‑Southern. He is proficient in English and Vietnamese.
Phone: 205‑555‑0810 • Email: r.greene@greenelegal.com
10. Felicia D. Rhodes
Felicia Rhodes heads Rhodes Civil Rights Group in the Woodlawn neighborhood, specializing in age‑discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, and municipal‑policy challenges. Her 2025 litigation forced the city to adopt a comprehensive bias‑training program for law‑enforcement officers. She earned her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law after completing a B.A. in Psychology at Tuskegee University. Languages: English and French Creole.
Phone: 205‑555‑0925 • Email: felicia.rhodes@rhodeslaw.org
11. Daniel K. Whitaker
Daniel Whitaker practices at Whitaker & Whitaker, a family‑run firm in the Montclair area, where he handles civil‑rights matters involving free speech, animal‑rights activism, and public‑policy advocacy. In 2023 he obtained a landmark injunction preventing a state agency from enforcing a law that infringed on peaceful protest rights. He holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a B.S. in Political Science from Auburn University. He is fluent in English and Russian.
Phone: 205‑555‑1078 • Email: d.whitaker@whitakerlaw.com