25 Years of Mentoring the Next Generation of Attorneys
For 25 years, Christian & Small’s dedication to mentorship and professional growth has helped our newer attorneys develop their skills and advance their careers.
From day one, the firm has prioritized supporting the growth and development of newer attorneys through a structured and deliberate mentorship culture. Whether it’s targeted recruiting across the Southeast or building a pipeline of diverse talent, our commitment to professional development begins early and continues throughout each attorney’s career.
Early Outreach and Real-World Experience
Christian & Small invests in future legal professionals by working with students from high school to law school, through meaningful initiatives, such as annual scholarships for deserving students, and through programs like Teach for America Alabama and the Birmingham Bar Association’s Mock Trial Competition. By creating a collaborative culture and hiring for the long term, we ensure that our attorneys are well-equipped to handle the challenges of an evolving legal landscape.
Newer attorneys work closely with seasoned lawyers to build litigation skills and client advocacy knowledge while receiving personalized guidance to help them grow professionally and personally. Through structured support like regular check-ins and expectation setting, the firm fosters an environment where mentorship is a shared responsibility and everyone benefits, from new associates to senior partners.
Associate Maggie Key
Associate Maggie Key’s experience highlights the uniqueness of our culture. From her earliest days at the firm, Maggie has thrived in an environment characterized by teamwork, trust, and the freedom to grow. Maggie is an integral part of the firm’s Summer Associate program, recruiting law school students and working directly with summer associates. Maggie routinely mentors new associates.
Teamwork
The attorneys I work with are so smart and are always there for help and guidance. They’ve given me the freedom and opportunity to develop an advocacy style that works. The associates at our firm are all good friends. It makes a difference when you work with people who always encourage and uplift you. We celebrate each other’s work and personal life milestones.
Mentorship
Christian & Small provides numerous opportunities for law students. We try to expose them to as many aspects of the day-to-day practice of law as possible. We take them with us to hearings, depositions, mediations, introduce them to clients, and bring them to networking events. We provide hands-on mentorship and build strong relationships with our summer clerks. Our goal at Christian & Small to ensure summer clerks make the most out of their Summer. We want them to discover their strengths and interests within the law and become confident young lawyers.
Learn more about Christian & Small’s Summer Associate Program
Jim Pattillo: Recruiting and Mentoring
Litigation Partner Jim Pattillo serves as Christian & Small’s Associate and Summer Associate Partner. He mentors associates and teaches them how to be effective advocates in the courtroom, valued team members, and to make a difference in the community.
We asked Jim to share his thoughts on recruiting and mentoring attorneys.
Approach
I try to meet young attorneys where they are – both in terms of skill and mindset – and then challenge them to grow beyond what they think they are capable of. Litigation is a demanding profession, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I focus on developing judgment, resilience, and advocacy, not just technical skill.
What do you enjoy?
I love watching the lightbulb moments, when something clicks for an associate in a deposition, in a draft, or when they find their voice in a motion hearing. That transformation from hesitant to confident is something I never get tired of seeing.
Do you learn from them?
Absolutely! Associates challenge my assumptions, ask sharp questions, and push me to explain the ‘why’ behind legal strategy. They bring fresh eyes and new energy. It’s a two-way street, and I am a better lawyer for staying in that conversation.
What do you hope to impart?
Excellence is a habit, not a one-time event. I want them to understand that being a good lawyer means being a good teammate, a thoughtful advocate, and someone who takes ownership of their role, whether in the courtroom or the community. The goal is to build credibility that lasts.
Partner John Johnson: From Runner to Partner
After graduating from college in 1998, John Johnson worked nights at Dugan’s and needed extra money. His mother called a friend who worked with Christian & Small’s predecessor firm (Rives & Peterson), and he was hired as a runner. As John says, “The rest is history. I went to the University of Alabama School of Law from 2000 to 2003 and have worked here continuously in some capacity since the firm’s inception in 2000.
Inspiration
My mother was the true inspiration for attending law school. She was born and raised in Denmark. She came to the U.S. to study at the University of Alabama School of Law and met my father there. They moved back to Copenhagen for a short time before returning to Alabama. She became a municipal judge while practicing with my father in the Shoals area. She was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in Colbert County, serving multiple terms there before being appointed to the Federal Bench by President Clinton. Big shoes, they say.
Impact
Numerous attorneys at Christian & Small significantly impacted my growth and development, but a few particularly stand out. Legendary trial attorney and Senior Partner Bibb Allen was my next-door neighbor at the firm. He frequently asked me to pull cases and conduct legal research on insurance coverage topics while taking the time to teach me the basics. I began assisting with his book supplement early in my career. After his death, I wrote the second edition of Allen’s Alabama Liability Insurance Handbook and renamed it in his honor. I also credit Eddie Elliott, Sharon Stuart, and Debbie Smith (retired) for teaching me to always be better prepared than opposing counsel when entering a courtroom.
Memorable Moments
Late in his career, Bibb still loved to go to court. We were in a courtroom in Tuscaloosa, and the opposition had cited his book against him. The judge looked at him over his glasses and said, “Mr. Allen, are you in a pickle?” Bibb just laughed and said, “No, judge, I meant to clarify that I was wrong when I wrote that section.”
When discussions about forming the firm first began, there was a genuine sense of uncertainty. As a runner at the time, I can say the uncertainty was palpable. One afternoon, Debbie Smith called the supply room where I worked and asked me to come to her office. I walked in, and Debbie and Rhonda Chambers were having a closed-door meeting to discuss whether this “idea” was a good one or a terrible one. She handed me a twenty-dollar bill and said, “Rhonda and I need a drink, please walk to the CVS and get us a 12-pack of Miller Lite.” I then assumed things had gotten serious.
One thing that stands out about the lawyers who formed the firm is that there has always been a tradition of generosity among the older attorneys. They unselfishly cared about the success of the younger attorneys. That’s why the firm has been a success.
Conclusion
The stories of Maggie, Jim, and John illustrate what Christian & Small has represented for the last 25 years—mentorship, teamwork, and a drive to help young attorneys grow.
About Christian & Small
Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is a Mansfield Rule™ Certified Plus Law Firm. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small’s core values.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.