MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey didn’t have to look far for a successor to former Associate Justice Bill Lewis on the Alabama Supreme Court.
Ivey announced Monday announced chose her General Counsel, Will Parker, to serve on the court. Parker is a longtime legal advisor to Ivey and comes to the bench after a tenure as General Counsel to the governor. Parker fills the vacancy left by Bill Lewis, who was also appointed by Ivey before President Donald Trump selected him for a federal judgeship.
“I am grateful to Governor Ivey for the opportunity to serve the people of Alabama in this new role, and I will do everything I can as a member of the Alabama Supreme Court to live up to the high standards set by her and embodied by all of Team Ivey,” said Parker.
Parker has served as Ivey’s General Counsel since December 2019; he joined the Governor’s Office in June 2017, just after Ivey was sworn in as governor.
“Will Parker is the exact kind of person you want serving on the Alabama Supreme Court,” Ivey said. “He is not only highly capable and dedicated to the rule of law, but he is a truly good man with the utmost integrity.
“He has been an outstanding General Counsel, easily explaining the complexities of the law and constitution in understandable verbiage. That will no doubt serve the Court well. While I will miss having him as General Counsel, I am thrilled for the people of Alabama, as well as for Will and his family, as he takes on this new role.”
As General Counsel and a member of Ivey’s senior staff, Parker has been instrumental in bringing the governor’s agenda to fruition.
In the most recent legislative session, Parker oversaw the drafting of legislation to ban cell phones in schools, elevate the state’s veterans-services agency, provide paid parental leave for public school teachers and promote public safety through Ivey’s Safe Alabama public safety package.
“Over her remarkable eight and a half years in office, Governor Ivey has provided steady leadership for our great state, always faithfully fulfilling her duties and serving the people,” Parker said. “This is the example I hope to follow on the Court each and every day as I work to uphold the Constitution and preserve the rule of law.”
Prior to serving in the Governor’s Office, Parker worked for nearly 10 years as Assistant Attorney General in the Constitutional Defense Division of the Office of the Attorney General.
In that role, Parker handled cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts defending state policies in a wide range of areas, including court administration, campaign finance, economic policy, environmental law, immigration, public employment, public finance, school choice, tax and other areas.
Parker has presented oral argument on multiple occasions before the Alabama Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Before his service in state government, Parker served a one-year term as law clerk for Judge Ed Carnes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. This position immediately followed his 2006 graduation from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Like Ivey, Parker’s career began in the classroom. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Davidson College in 2002, Parker taught U.S. history at a Montgomery public high school.
Parker’s appointment is effective immediately.
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