When Governor Kay Ivey took office in 2017, she declared as her first order of business to “steady the ship of state” after the turbulence that brought her to the helm. Once the ship was steadied, she set about steering it with purpose. Now she is on course to conclude her nearly decade-long voyage having navigated Alabama safely through the uncharted waters of a global pandemic and a few tempests along the way. One of the most enduring parts of her legacy will be found in the people she mustered to crew the vessel—many high-caliber officers who will continue to serve long after Governor Ivey completes her watch.
Some of Governor Ivey’s strongest appointees—met with near universal acclaim from the state’s political, business, and legal communities—have been her judges. From probate judges who oversee elections and adoptions, to district and circuit court judges who preside over trials, to appellate judges who interpret the law, Governor Ivey has appointed many highly regarded men and women with great character and command of the law.
On the state’s highest court, the Governor’s appointments have been, well, supreme. Justices Will Sellers and Brad Mendheim have been reliable conservatives and intellectual lights on the Court. Justice Lyn Stuart capably led the Court after Governor Ivey elevated her to chief justice. And Justice Bill Lewis, we hardly knew ye! Such a bright, rising star that almost immediately he was snatched up by President Trump for an appointment to the federal bench.
Last month, Governor Ivey continued this tradition by appointing her long-time legal advisor Will Parker to the Alabama Supreme Court. Having both served with him in the Governor’s Legal Office, we know that Justice Parker’s keen legal intellect, unwavering moral compass, and friendly and inquisitive demeanor will make him an effective and respected member of the Court.
In the Governor’s Office, Parker played a pivotal role in guiding the State through the COVID pandemic—drafting legal protections for businesses and healthcare providers that kept Alabama open, and later successfully defending those measures before the same Court on which he now serves. He worked closely with stakeholders, cabinet secretaries, and legislators to advance Governor Ivey’s landmark education agenda, culminating in the CHOOSE Act, the state’s new school-choice law. He also drove key reforms to the Board of Pardons and Paroles to keep dangerous felons off the streets and authored strong public-safety legislation, including enhanced protections for law-enforcement officers.
Before joining Governor Ivey’s team, Parker worked in the Attorney General’s Office’s Constitutional Defense Division. There, he won cases that kept sex offenders behind bars and upheld a law banning the use of taxpayer-funded resources to siphon money from teachers’ paychecks for liberal union political activity (a legal victory without which school choice could never have gotten off the ground).
Justice Parker was destined for judicial service at a young age. While a student at Montgomery Academy, Parker was elected National Chief of the Order of the Arrow, the honor society for Boy Scouts. Between graduating from prestigious Davidson College and entering the University of Alabama School of Law, he taught U.S. history at a Montgomery public high school. After graduating magna cum laude from law school, he clerked for the legendary Judge Ed Carnes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
It’s an impressive resume, but Will and his wife Karen, also a teacher, are perhaps proudest of the two polite, precocious, and whip-smart boys they are raising.
As one of the crewmates who helped Governor Ivey steady the ship of state, chart its course, and navigate rocky shoals, Justice Parker now has a well-earned opportunity to leave his own mark in the annals of Alabama history. Happily, we know him to be firmly anchored in his conservative philosophy and moored to the Rule of Law.
So, it is with the utmost confidence that we congratulate our friend, Will Parker—a great continuation of Governor Ivey’s legacy of outstanding appointments.
Bryan Taylor is a former state senator and served as Governor Ivey’s General Counsel from 2017 to 2019. He is a partner at the law firm Bachus Brom & Taylor, LLC.
Justin Barkley served as Governor Ivey’s Chief Deputy General Counsel from 2022 to 2023. He is Chief Legal Officer for NaphCare, a Birmingham-based healthcare and technology government contractor.