What do appellate briefs have in common with an opera? Well, one thing is Abbott Jones. An appeals lawyer during the day, Abbott is also a soprano in the chorus of Opera Birmingham. Her experience in both roles has led her to draw certain comparisons between performing and practicing the art of appellate law.
Each requires numerous hours of preparation and solid teamwork behind the scenes. While operas entertain and move the audience, appellate briefs are written to educate and persuade the courts. Abbott says that the same discipline and work ethic that she applies to her singing also make her a better lawyer at Christian & Small. She enjoys the research, writing and editing involved in creating a carefully-orchestrated brief that commands the attention and consideration of the courts. Abbott also represents and advises clients in entertainment matters, including contract negotiation, copyrights and trademarks.
Professional and Community Involvement
- American Bar Association: Council of Appellate Lawyers – Rules Committee
- Alabama State Bar Association: Young Lawyers Section
- Birmingham Bar Association: Civil Courts Procedure Committee (2013), Speakers Bureau Committee (2010-2012)
- Primerus: Young Lawyers Section – Member At-Large, Executive Committee; Editor, Stare Decisis, A Quarterly Publication of the Primerus Young Lawyers Section; Chair, Newsletter Committee (2010-2011)
- Defense Research Institute: Appellate Advocacy Committee
- Grammy Foundation Entertainment Law Initiative: Writing Competition Judge
- United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham: Junior Board Member
- Opera Birmingham: Chorus Member, Amici Young Patrons Group Vice-President
awards and recognition
- Selected for inclusion in Alabama Super Lawyers® as a 2012 and 2013 Rising Star in the field of appellate
- Selected to participate in the 2012 Birmingham Bar Association Future Leaders Forum
Publications and Presentations
- Supreme Court Update, Stare Decisis: A Quarterly Publication of the Primerus Young Lawyers (July 2010-present).
- Abbott Marie Jones & Leslie A. Allen, US Supreme Court Ruling Opens the Door to Potential Liability for Discrimination by Non-Decision Makers Who Influence Employment Decisions, Paradigm: A Primerus Publication (Fall 2011).
- Abbott Marie Jones & Leslie A. Allen, Cautionary Signs for Employers: Recent Supreme Court Decisions, The Job Description: The Newsletter of the Employment Law Committee of DRI (May 10, 2011).
- Should the Exception Be the Rule? Advocating for Appellate Review of Summary Judgment Denials, 72 The Alabama Lawyer 38 (Jan. 2011).
- Presenter at the Birmingham Bar Association CLE Seminar: Civil Appeals 101: What Every Litigator Should Know about Handling Appeals (Jan. 21, 2011).
- 2010 Amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Birmingham Bar Association Bulletin, 30 (Winter 2010).
- 2010 Amendments to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Amendments at a Glance (Dec. 2010).
- Abbott Marie Jones & Christopher S. Berdy, Kawasaki v. Regal-Beloit: The Supreme Court Resolves the Long-Standing Circuit Split Regarding the Law Applicable to Multimodal Shipping Contracts, IADC Environmental, Energy and Maritime Law Committee Newsletter (Dec. 10, 2010).
- Get Ready ‘Cause Here They Come: A Look at Problems on the Horizon for Authorship and Termination Rights in Sound Recordings, 31 Hastings Comm. & Ent. L.J. 127 (2008).
- Tenth Annual GRAMMY Foundation® Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition Runner-up, Yours, Mine, and Ours: The Joint Authorship Conundrum for Sound Recordings, 10 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 525 (2008).
- Note, Getting What You Bargained For? The Eleventh Circuit Refuses to Apply the Carmack Amendment for a Through Bill of Lading Without a Separate Domestic Bill of Lading in Altadis USA, Inc. v. Sea Star Line LLC, 31 Tul. Mar. L.J. 657 (2007).