Retired federal district Judge T. Virgil Pittman of Mobile, Ala., a life trustee of Samford University, has received the 2007 Howell Heflin Award from the Mobile and Baldwin County Bar Associations.
The award is presented annually to judges and lawyers who have brought honor to the legal profession. Judge Pittman was honored during the Mobile and Baldwin County Bench and Bar Conference Dec. 1 at Point Clear, Ala.
Judge Pittman retired last March after 40 years on the federal bench and 15 years as a circuit judge in Gadsden, Ala. He is known for his judicial rulings that broke down segregation barriers and extended civil rights in Mobile and southwest Alabama. He was elected to the Samford board of trustees in 1974.