Attorney Alan Jackson is surrounded by imperfect people. But having been raised in a good home, he’s learned to tolerate the shortcomings of others.
By imperfect, he means people who aren’t Vols fans.
Take, for example, the federal judge under which Jackson clerked for two years: Walter E. Johnson of Rome, Ga. By his own account, Jackson has tremendous respect for the man. “Clerking for him was a very good experience. He whipped me into shape and helped to hone my writing skills. He’s a wonderful man and a great judge,” Jackson says.
Then he adds the caveat: “Sadly, he’s a Georgia fan, but no one’s perfect.”
Jackson then sets his crosshairs on his own wife, Lindy.
He met Lindy while in Rome, where she was the membership director for the local chapter of the Chamber of Commerce. They had what he calls “a whirlwind courtship,” and then married in July of last year. Lindy came with Caroline, a 5-year-old girl Jackson calls “delightful.” The family settled in Normal Park and has since grown with the addition of Elizabeth Louise, Alan and Lindy’s first child together, born last month.
Jackson, who also turned 30 in May, is clearly happy, as he brightens considerably when talking about his wife and children. But then the caveat rears its head again. As much as he loves his wife, she’s a ‘Bama fan. “As I said, no one is perfect,” he says.
Caroline gets off scott free, likely because she’s too young to have developed a preference, or rather because she’s wise beyond her years and has chosen to remain neutral.
Jackson laughs again to show he’s not serious, but even if he were, he could be forgiven. His father has been going to Tennessee Vols games since 1954, so Jackson grew up with orange blood running through his veins. “I’m a big fan. I rarely miss a home game,” he says. “I’m excited about Butch Jones, and am looking forward to when he has us back where we need to be.”
Jackson’s mother is not a football fan, but he applies no caveat to her, as no self-respecting Southern man would say his mother was anything less than perfect.
There is, of course, more to Jackson than his love of the Vols, regardless of the profusion of orange in his office at Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams. Most visibly, he’s a young lawyer with all of the energy, passion, drive, and idealism that propels people his age through law school and into their first job.
Tracing the genesis of Jackson’s interest in the law isn’t easy, though, as there are no lawyers in his family. “There were no teachers, either,” he says, “although I do have a country doctor somewhere in my lineage.”
Regardless, Jackson was already “thinking law” when he graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with an undergraduate philosophy degree. (“What else are you going to do with a philosophy degree?” he quips.) But he didn’t want to go directly to law school, so he spent two years in Macon, Ga., teaching high school English at an independent school. “I thought about working for Merrill Lynch, but I’m not a numbers guy, and I really wanted to teach for a while,” Jackson says. “I only had a bachelor’s degree, but they were desperate, and I was banking on someone being desperate.”
In time, Jackson, who grew up in Athen, Tenn., felt drawn back to his home state, so he made his dad (and mom) proud by attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Law. “I enjoyed my time there, to the extent one can enjoy law school,” he says.
Jackson initially thought he wanted to become a prosecutor, so he interned for the U.S. Attorneys’ Office in Knoxville. While he enjoyed his work, he quickly discovered he had no interest in pursuing it as a career. “I worked in the criminal division, and was actually able to try some motions and work out some deals. It was interesting work, but it wore on me,” he says. “I saw some really sad stuff, like a kid on drugs, and his grandmother there prosecuting him because he sold her heirloom jewelry, and it was melted down. I admire people who do that kind of work, but it wasn’t for me.”
After clerking for Judge Johnson, Jackson applied for positions at several firms in Chattanooga, including Spears. He he “liked the vibe of the place,” so he accepted their offer. Since Sept. 1 of last year, he’s done a variety of work, including commercial litigation, defamation, car accidents, premises liability, trade secrets, insurance defense, and more. “For not having been here even a year, I’ve been able to cut my teeth on some interesting stuff. It’s been a good learning experience,” Jackson says.
Jackson has also been pitching in as a board member of the Young Lawyers Division of the Chattanooga Bar Association, including helping with the distribution of the CBA Auxiliary’s booklet for graduating high school seniors, “When You Become 18.” “I wish I’d had one of those when I turned 18,” he says. “It’s a great service, and I’m glad to be involved with it.”
In his downtime, Jackson likes to run, read (“Saul Bellows: Letters,” Philip Roth’s “Goodbye, Columbus,” and the works of Cormack McCarthy are among his recent acquisitions), and spend time with his family. He also does “the lion’s share of the cooking in the house,” although the resident Bama fan did not confirm his claim. “I know my way around a kitchen,” he says. “Every Christmas, I do a nice country ham, and I also do a good prime rib. For Lindy’s birthday, I made linguini and clams.”
Ultimately, Jackson is simply enjoying life in Chattanooga. “I love this city,” he says. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
In other words, Chattanooga is perfect – Georgia and ‘Bama fans notwithstanding.