Some truly depressing news comes to us from Alabama today. This weekend, an interim clinic director and a clinic staff attorney from the University of Alabama School of Law were both found dead in Lake Tuscaloosa.
Elizabeth Whipple, 41, and Shelly Darling, 34, had gone to the lake to sunbathe on Friday morning, and according to police, they were reported missing by family members on Friday evening. Whipple and Darling were later found in the lake by a dive team early Saturday morning after police were alerted to a possible drowning.
Whipple was a 1998 graduate of Georgetown University and a 2007 graduate of Alabama Law. She had served as the interim director of the school’s Domestic Violence Clinic since 2015. Darling was a graduate of the University of Alabama and a 2010 graduate of GW Law School. She served as a staff attorney at the school’s Elder Law Clinic since 2014. Police have ruled their deaths accidental electrocutions. AL.com has the details:
Meet Me At ILTACON: Opus 2 And AI Workbench
Swing by Booth 800 for a look at the latest in AI-powered case management.
Two women who died in Lake Tuscaloosa last weekend were electrocuted, authorities announced Wednesday morning. …
Hart said a Tuscaloosa investigator was shocked during the initial search at the scene on Saturday but was not injured. “We know there was electricity going through at least part of the pier,” he said at a Monday press conference. “We’re waiting on full report from medical examiner to determine exactly what happened.”
Alabama Dean Mark Brandon released this statement after receiving the news:
Shelly Darling (left), Elizabeth Whipple (right)
I reach out to you to share some unhappy news about two of our colleagues. Liz Whipple and Shelly Darling died Friday, the result of a water-related accident at Lake Tuscaloosa. This is wrenching news for all who knew them. Liz was concluding her second year as Interim Director of the Law School’s Domestic Violence Clinic. Shelly was a Staff Attorney in the Elder Law Clinic since 2014. Both were committed to values of equal justice, and each was a beloved member of the community.
Please keep Liz’s and Shelly’s families and friends in your thoughts and hearts during this heartbreaking time. I do not yet have information about funeral or memorial for Liz or Shelly, but I will share that and other information as I receive it. Counseling services are available for all students, faculty and staff of the Law School.
Reasoning, Tool Calling, And Agentic Systems In Legal LLMs
Domain-specific AI provides accuracy and reliable legal reasoning.
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Elizabeth Whipple and Shelly Darling during this difficult time.
Autopsy shows 2 lawyers found dead in Lake Tuscaloosa were electrocuted [AL.com]
Electrocution investigated as possible cause of death for women found in Lake Tuscaloosa [AL.com]
Deeply Sad News From Alabama Law [Faculty Lounge]
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. She’d love to hear from you, so feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.