Meet a father-daughter duo who are city attorneys in Birmingham and Midfield. Nicole King, 43, is a Birmingham city attorney and her father, David Sullivan, 73, represents the city of Midfield.
By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | The Birmingham TimesBirmingham City Attorney Nicole King knew since age 5 that she wanted to be a lawyer just like her father, David Sullivan, who used to take her to court when he had cases. “I have learned, and he’s always taught me, ‘Don’t ever go into a profession when you can’t help somebody,’” she said.
“I think it is certainly a special situation, especially as related to Black attorneys. I’m unaware of this really being the case anywhere else, at least I haven’t heard of it—two head city attorneys being essentially in adjacent jurisdictions . . . father and daughter,” said Jackson, who is also board member for the Magic City Bar Association, which was founded in 1984 in response to a need to promote the professional advancement of African American attorneys.
King, the only child of Sullivan and his wife, was born eight weeks premature, weighing just three pounds and eight ounces. “[Sullivan] is a legal scholar. He’s a fighter. He’s taken on some giants and won for the city,” said Midfield Mayor Gary Richardson. “If I had to go to battle, I’d definitely want [Sullivan] by my side.”