Some see growing up in a small town as a disadvantage, but Alexander City native F. Jerome Tapley doesn’t see it that way at all.
At 41, Tapley is regarded by his peers as one of the best attorneys in the state and nation. The Benjamin Russell High School graduate credits the small town work ethic he experienced here as a big reason for his success.
kAmyFDE =2DE H66<[ %2A=6J H2D C6AC6D6?E:?8 4=:6?ED 282:?DE }:DD2? :? 2 3C2<6 56764E 42D6 :? {@D p?86=6D E92E =65 E@ 2 Sad >:==:@? G6C5:4E 7@==@H:?8 E96 562E9 @7 2 >@E96C 2?5 96C EH@ 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm“(6 2AA=2F5 E96 ;FCJ 7@C E96:C 5:=:86?46 2?5 92C5 H@C< C6G:6H:?8 E96 6G:56?46 :? E9:D 42D6[” %2A=6J D2:5 =2DE H66<] “~FC E9@F89ED 2?5 AC2J6CD 2C6 H:E9 E96 72>:=:6D H9@ =@DE E96:C =@G65 @?6D :? E9:D EC28:4 244:56?E E92E 4@F=5 92G6 366? 2G@:565] (6 9@A6 E9:D G6C5:4E H:== :?DA:C6 }:DD2? E@ DE6A FA 2?5 E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C E96 D276EJ @7 E96:C G69:4=6D D@ E92E ?@ @?6 6=D6 :D <:==65 @C :?;FC65 3642FD6 @7 2 AC@5F4E }:DD2? 72:=65 E@ C6G62= 2?5 C642==]”k^Am
kAm%96 5C:G6C @7 2 }:DD2? G69:4=6 H2D 492C865 H:E9 >2?D=2F89E6C :? E96 42D6 3FE E9@D6 492C86D H6C6 5C@AA65 27E6C %2A=6J C624965 2 D6EE=6>6?E :? 2 4=2DD 24E:@? =2HDF:E 282:?DE }:DD2? :?G@=G:?8 E96 D2>6 56764E]k^Am
kAm}:DD2? 2C8F65 :ED 3C2<6D H6C6 D276 :? E96 x?7:?:E: ")de 2?5 3=2>65 E96 5C:G6C]k^Am
kAm“%92E 8C6H @FE @7 2 4=2DD 24E:@? :? ?@CE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 @G6C E96 D2>6 56764E[” %2A=6J D2:5 %9FCD52J 3J A9@?6] “(96? E92E 42D6 D6EE=65 2?5 ?@E:46 H6?E @FE 23@FE :E H6 8@E 42==D 7C@> 2 4C:>:?2= 42D6 :? {@D p?86=6D E92E D2:5 E96 5C:G6C :? E92E 42D6 D2:5 9:D 3C2<6D 5:5 ?@E H@C< E96 H9@=6 E:>6 2?5 F=E:>2E6=J H6 8@E 9:C65] (6 5:5 2 5@H?=@25 @7 E96 G69:4=6 4@56 H9:49 :?5:42E65 E96 56764E 2?5 :E EFC?D @FE E96 76==@H 925 366? E6==:?8 E96 ECFE9 E96 H9@=6 E:>6]”k^Am
kAm%96 4=2DD 24E:@? =2HDF:E :? ?@CE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 4@?46C?65 2 3C2<6 56764E H96C6 4@>A6?D2E:@? H2D @776C65 E@ @H?6CD @7 >@C6 E92? ad_[___ }:DD2? 3F:=E pC>252D[ %:E2?D 2?5 x?7:?:E: ")de >@56=D]k^Am
kAm%2A=6J’D H@C< H:E9 r@CJ (2ED@? pEE@C?6JD :? q:C>:?892> :?G@=G6D AC@5F4E =:23:=:EJ 2?5 4=2DD 24E:@?[ D@>6E9:?8 96 92D 366? 5@:?8 D:?46 C646:G:?8 9:D =2H 568C66 2E E96 rF>36C=2?5 $49@@= @7 {2H :? q:C>:?892>]k^Am
kAm“x 8F6DD >J AC24E:46 :D 23@FE 92=7 AC@5F4E 56764E 2?5 92=7 4=2DD 24E:@?[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x H2D 4@\=625 4@F?4:= :? 2 ?2E:@?2= 4@?D@=:52E65 4=2DD 24E:@? 282:?DE v@@8=6] x 92G6 C6AC6D6?E65 E96 $E2E6 @7 |:DD:DD:AA: :? 42D6D[ EH@ @7 E96> ?@H] x 5@?’E <?@H 9@H :E 92AA6?D] x 86E A9@?6 42==D 2?5 86E E@ 5@ 4@@= DEF77] %96 7:CDE 42D6 x 6G6C 5:5 H2D :?G@=G:?8 2 AC@5F4E =:23:=:EJ @C AC@5F4E 56764E] x 5@?’E 9@H :E 92AA6?65 – :E ;FDE 92AA6?65]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J’D C64@C5 92D 9:> 8@:?8 367@C6 2 ;F586 2?5 ;FCJ 2 =@E 3FE D@>6E:>6D 96 H:== D6EE=6]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 2 >:IEFC6 @7 3@E9[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x7 E96J 2C6 H:==:?8 E@ DE6A FA 2?5 5@ E96 C:89E E9:?8[ x ?6G6C 72F=E 2?J3@5J 7@C E2<:?8 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 3FE :7 E96J H@?’E – H6 H:== D66 H92E 2 ;FCJ 92D E@ D2J 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J 92D 366? C64@8?:K65 3J 9:D A66CD 2D @?6 @7 E96 %@A c_ &?56C c_ %C:2= {2HJ6CD :? E96 &]$[ @?6 @7 E96 %@A `__ %C:2= {2HJ6CD 2D 2? p' !C66>:?6?E !66C #6G:6H #2E65 |2E:?52=6\wF336==] w6 2EEC:3FE6D 9:D DF446DD E@ A6@A=6 D<:==D]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :? @C56C E@ 36 27764E:G6 :? 7C@?E @7 2 ;F586 2?5 ;FCJ[ J@F 92G6 E@ EC62E A6@A=6 =:<6 E96J’C6 A6@A=6[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x 86E E92E 7C@> >J A2C6?ED 2?5 >J 9@>6E@H?]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J H2D E96 7:CDE >2? :? 9:D 72>:=J E@ 86E 2? 65F42E:@? 36J@?5 9:89 D49@@=]k^Am
kAm“x H2D E96 7:CDE >2=6 :? >J 72>:=J E@ 8@ E@ 4@==686[” %2A=6J D2:5] “|J 2F?E H6?E]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J DE2CE65 2E r6?EC2= p=232>2 r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 @? 2 D49@=2CD9:A 367@C6 >@G:?8 @? E@ 2 7@FC\J62C D49@@=]k^Am
kAm“x H6?E E@ p&| @? 2 #FDD6== u@F?52E:@? $49@=2CD9:A[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x DEF5:65 A@=:E:42= D4:6?46]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J 7:?:D965 62C=J 2?5 4@F=5?’E DE2CE =2H D49@@= C:89E 2H2J]k^Am
kAm“x 24EF2==J H@C<65 2E #6?E\p\r6?E6C :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 7@C ?:?6 >@?E9D 3642FD6 x 8C25F2E65 :? E96 H:?E6C[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x DE2CE65 rF>36C=2?5 E92E 72==]”k^Am
kAm%2A=6J :D E96 D@? @7 uC2?< 2?5 q6EEJ %2A=6J] %@ D2J E92E uC2?< :D AC@F5 @7 9:D D@? H@F=5 36 2? F?56CDE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 8@@5 E9:?8 96 E@@< >@C6 27E6C 9:D >2>2[” uC2?< %2A=6J[ E96 7@C>6C 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6C 2?5 4:EJ 4@F?4:=>2? D2:5] “x <?@H x 92G6?’E 6G6C H@? 2? 2C8F>6?E H:E9 96C :? 2== E96 J62CD H6’G6 366? E@86E96C] %92E’D 6I24E=J E96 H2J 96 :D E@@] w6 5@6D?’E =@D6 >2?J 6:E96C]”k^Am
kAmy6C@>6 :D >2CC:65 E@ 9:D 9:89 D49@@= DH66E962CE[ 76==@H q6?;2>:? #FDD6== 8C25F2E6 2?5 A65:2EC:4:2? z6==:] %96J 92G6 EH@ 52F89E6CD |256=:?6 2?5 w2CA6C]k^Am
kAmy6C@>6 4C65:ED 9:D DF446DD E@ 36:?8 C2:D65 :? 2 D>2== E@H?]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< J@F 42? 4@>6 7C@> 2 D>2== E@H? 2?5 5@ 3:8 E9:?8D[” %2A=6J 6IA=2:?65] “x E9:?< :E’D 2? 25G2?E286 7C2?<=J] p D>2== E@H? =:<6 p=6I2?56C r:EJ H:E9 E96 4@EE@? >:==D[ E96 H@C< 6E9:4 2?5 E96 56D:C6 E@ 96=A J@FC ?6:893@C 2?5 =@@< @FE 7@C @E96C 7@=<D :D C62==J 2? 25G2?E286 7C@> >J A6CDA64E:G6 2D 2 =2HJ6C] w2C5 H@C< A2JD @77] %96 7@=<D :? %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ F?56CDE2?5 92C5 H@C<]”k^Am
kAmp?5 E92E 92C5 H@C< 2==@HD %2A=6J E@ 5@ E9:?8D @E96CD >:89E ?@E 36 23=6 E@ 5@]k^Am
kAm“x D2H 92C5 H@C< >J 6?E:C6 49:=59@@5[” %2A=6J D2:5] “x 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E@ H@C< @E96CH:D6] x? >J EC2G6=D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ 5@:?8 42D6D 2?5 D66:?8 =2HJ6CD 7C@> xGJ {628F6 D49@@=D[ D66:?8 =2HJ6CD H9@ C6AC6D6?E 9F86 4@CA@C2E:@?D[ E96C6 :D 2 5:776C6?E H@C< 6E9:4 :? D>2== E@H? 7@=<D] x H@?’E AC@>:D6 J@F x 2> E96 D>2CE6DE =2HJ6C :? E96 42D6[ 3FE x H:== AC@>:D6 E96 @E96C =2HJ6CD H:== ?@E @FE H@C< >6]”k^Am
