August 8, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALABAMA CENTER FOR LAW AND LIBERTY HIRES NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT AS MATT CLARK TAKES NEXT STEP IN CAREER

PRATTVILLE, AL — On Tuesday, August 8, Matt Clark, President of the Alabama Center for Law and Liberty (“ACLL”), stepped down from his role as ACLL President to accept an offer from Chief Justice Tom Parker of the Alabama Supreme Court to serve as his Senior Staff Attorney. Laura Clark, Matt Clark’s wife, will take his place as ACLL’s Interim President.

ACLL was founded in March 2021 as the legal arm of the Alabama Policy Institute (“API”), fighting for limited government, free markets, and strong families in the courts. During Matt Clark’s time as President, ACLL led a campaign in Montgomery to defeat Mayor Reed’s proposed Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (“SOGI”) ordinance, played a key role in forcing the University of Alabama Birmingham (“UAB”) to drop their vaccine mandate for employees, sued the Biden administration over the OSHA vaccine mandate, and teamed up with Alliance Defending Freedom (“ADF”) to defeat restrictive speech codes at the University of Alabama Huntsville (“UAH”). Additionally, ACLL contributed notable amicus support in major Supreme Court decisions such as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org., Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, and NYSRPA v. Bruen. Justices of the Alabama Supreme Court twice commended ACLL for briefing the court on the original meaning of the state constitution. ACLL eventually went independent in June of 2023.

Matt Clark stated:

“I am grateful to ACLL’s board, staff, donors, and allies, as well as to the Alabama Policy Institute, for giving me the chance to fight for conservative principles in the courts since March of 2021. I am also grateful to my wife for taking over the company, and I know it will be in good hands. I am also thankful to Chief Justice Parker for allowing me this wonderful opportunity to take the next step in my career. Finally, I am thankful to God for blessing me with the chance to run ACLL for two years and to continue to serve my state by working for the Chief Justice.”

ACLL has hired Laura Clark, wife of Matt Clark, as ACLL’s new Interim President. Laura Clark is a graduate of the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law where she received her LLM. She has volunteered her time to assist ACLL

Matthew J. Clark President

previously and has experience in pro-life litigation, First Amendment law, and family law. Laura Clark said:

“I appreciate the great opportunity to lead ACLL and continue the great work it has been doing in fighting for conservative values! I value nothing more than faith, family, and our constitutional rights. I look forward to fighting for all these principles in the days ahead.”

Chairman of the Board, Allen Mendenhall, said concerning the transition:

“Matt Clark has far exceeded expectations in his work at ACLL, which has accomplished more in two years than other organizations have accomplished in a decade. ACLL is in good hands with Laura Clark, who will carry the torch of liberty with grace and confidence.”

ACLL is a nonprofit public interest firm in Prattville, AL that focuses on constitutional issues and fights in the courts for limited government, free markets, and strong families. For more information, visit alabamalawandliberty.org.

http://alabamalawandliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8.8.23-ACLL-Press-Release.pdf