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Emily Glass Sims has learned so much about rural law while serving as an intern with the Covington County Circuit Court and Circuit Judge Ben Bowden for the last eight weeks.

Sims, a student at the University of Alabama’s School of Law in Tuscaloosa, was awarded the internship through the Finch Initiative, which provides law students an opportunity to learn and experience the court process in a small-town setting.

Sims graduated from Opp High School in 2015. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice with minors in Psychology and Arabic Language from the University of Alabama in 2019 and received summa cum laude honors. With two years of law school under her belt, she will begin her final year at UA in the fall and finish in the spring of 2023.

“I am actually from Covington County, which is unusual for a Finch Fellow. I was born and raised in Opp. I was selected as a Finch Fellow after an application and interview process with one of the assistant deans at the law school. I am grateful for my time as a Finch Fellow. I will use the knowledge I have gained this summer to contribute to the south Alabama community when I begin practicing. Although I recognize the value of working at a big law firm, Covington County is home. I hope to be able to come back and practice in the Andalusia area,” Sims said.

She was appreciative for the opportunity to serve under the leadership of Judge Bowden.

“The Finch Initiative has been such a valuable experience. I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with various local attorneys who have all offered beneficial advice. I have witnessed many types of civil and criminal proceedings, researched and discussed challenging legal issues, and gained insight into how a judge approaches a case. Judge Bowden’s integrity and devotion to a fair process for all is evident and inspiring. The importance of service to the community will be my greatest takeaway.”

Sims chose to become a lawyer to aid other citizens and decided to further her education at UA.

“One of the greatest contributions to society is the ability to help another. Working in the legal field provides a unique platform to be a voice for those who need assistance. I did not really consider attending anywhere else. When I was presented with the opportunity to attend law school at such a prestigious institution, I could not turn it down. Roll Tide,” she said.

The Finch Initiative, now in its sixth year, was launched in the summer of 2017 and started in Andalusia.

“This was born with a casual conversation I had with the dean of the law school about having an intern here in rural south Alabama. We want to show them what it’s like to be a lawyer and how gratifying the experience of being a lawyer can be. Each one of them has been unique but super smart and none any better than Emily. We are glad the program is still going and hope for it to keep going in the future,” Judge Bowden said.

Sims is the daughter of Cindy Donaldson Glass and Mike Glass and is married to her husband of two years, Noah Sims.

“The thing that has been really amazing to me about Emily’s Finch Fellowship is how talented she is. I’m really excited and pleased about the quality of the students coming out of the University of Alabama School of Law. That’s satisfying to me because that’s my alma mater, and I’m glad to see they’re attracting such quality students. A bonus or added layer is that Emily is one of our own. She’s from our community, and it’s amazing to see how successful young people from our community are doing so well. Emily has been so much help to the court system this summer. She is a very accomplished researcher who can grasp complicated legal arguments pretty quick. I don’t have a clerk, so having her these last eight weeks has spoiled me a little bit. I wish I could keep her around, but she has bigger things to do. We are sorry to see her go but excited for Emily’s future,” Judge Bowden said.