Last night the Ferguson Center Forum was packed with members of the College Republicans eager to hear Alabama Chief Justice Chuck Malone speak about his campaign for election and his life experience.

Malone was born and raised in Alabama and attended the University for undergraduate before receiving his law degree from Stamford University in 1981.

Malone has spent all of his professional life in law. He practiced law for 20 years in Tuscaloosa before he ran for circuit court of Tuscaloosa County in 2000. He served two terms as the presiding judge for the circuit, which he describes as having “the same pay as a regular judge, but all the extra work.”

During this time, he served as an adjunct professor at both the UA School of Law and Culverhouse School of Commerce and Business. Malone said it had been nine months since he was last here at the University teaching business law.

A lot can change in nine months, as Malone can attest to.

Last January, Malone was appointed chief of staff to Gov. Robert Bentley. He served in that position until August when he was appointed Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court following the unexpected retirement of Sue Bell Cobb.

“Chuck Malone is a lifelong Republican,” Joe Mahoney, a member of the College Republicans and student director of Malone’s campaign said.

Other attendees had high praise for Malone as well.

“This man is a great man. I’ve known him for 25 years, and this is someone you can trust as your Chief Justice,” State Representative John Merrill, also in attendance last night, said. “This is the man I aspire to be.”

Malone encouraged students to consider going to law school, calling law “an honorable profession.”

He said he sees the purpose of the law as administering predictability, continuity, and stability to society. He said he feels this purpose is especially important in establishing a positive business conducive to economic growth, which may be why he received the endorsement of the American Civil Justice Reform Committee, which represents a large collection of small business groups.

His chief agenda should he be elected would be budgeting.

“There are a lot of good goals, but handling the budget comes first and foremost,” he said.

Terri Malone said of her husband, “He spends all day working at the judicial building and all night working on the campaign, but the job comes before the campaign. I’m extremely proud of him and the state of Alabama would be lucky to have him for six more years.”