Late Bradley Partner Ellene Winn Inducted into Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame

Bradley is pleased to announce that Ellene Glenn Winn has been inducted into the 2019 Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame. A native of Clayton, Alabama, Ellene Winn became the first female partner at Bradley in 1957, when the firm was known as White, Bradley, Arant, All & Rose.

To be inducted into the Alabama Lawyers’ Hall of Fame an attorney must have had a distinguished career in the law. This can be demonstrated through many different forms of achievement, leadership, service, mentorship, political courage, or professional success. Each inductee must have been deceased at least two years at the time of their selection.

“Miss Winn’s impact on public finance in Alabama was profound,” said Alan Zeigler, partner at Bradley and one-time associate of Ellene Winn. “She was instrumental from the late 1940s till the 1980s in drafting legislation pertaining to all aspects of public finance in the state. Her wisdom and her work, particularly in briefing and presenting validation cases decided by the Alabama Supreme Court, still provide the bedrock for much of what Alabama public finance lawyers do today.”

Bradley partner Virginia Patterson, another former colleague of Ellene Winn’s, added, “Miss Winn exemplified the wisdom, intellect, kindness, ethics and strategic insight for which all lawyers should strive. I am proud and grateful to have known her.”

Ellene Winn joined Bradley in 1944 and quickly became known for her mastery in public finance. In 1957, she became the firm’s first female partner, the first in any major law firm in the Southeast, as well as one of the first in the nation. She is also believed to be the first female lawyer to present an oral argument before the Alabama Supreme Court.

Her trailblazing achievements led Bradley to create the Winn Initiative, a firm-wide program dedicated to enhancing the engagement, development, advancement and success of the firm’s female attorneys through mentoring and training sessions on boosting professional skills, leadership, mentoring and business development.

The full list of Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame Class of 2019 can be found here.