Melinda Lee Maddox is a Senior Attorney at Slater Slater Schulman, bringing over 33 years of experience helping clients navigate complex matters in criminal defense, family law, and civil rights. Melinda is known by her clients as a fierce yet relatable advocate who values clear communication and trust.

Prior to joining the firm, Melinda spent 33 years in solo practice, building extensive experience in criminal defense, family law, and civil rights matters. Her work reflects a longstanding commitment to justice and ethical advocacy, recognized with the ACLU Courage of Conscience Award in 2005, and includes advising and briefing the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on First Amendment issues. She has served two appointed terms on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Maryland State Advisory Committee, acted as a Special Judge in Escambia County, Alabama, served on the Alabama State Bar Ethics Committee, chaired the Legal Committee of the ACLU of Alabama, and was appointed to coordinate a municipal court’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

That commitment extends beyond her casework and into her community involvement. Melinda has taken on numerous pro bono cases, worked with the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence to draft and enact the state’s first domestic violence law, and, at the request of the Mobile County Municipal Court Chief Judge, coordinated the court’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has also led a group of volunteers to restore a forgotten 19th-century cemetery in Mobile, Alabama.

Beyond her legal work, Melinda is deeply committed to special-needs animal rescue–a passion she has pursued since 2001. She currently serves as Vice President of Northeast New England Westie Rescue and as a Board Member of Tasca’s Love Rescue. Her focus is on rescuing elderly, abused, and seriously ill dogs—those most often overlooked—and making sure they experience love and care for the rest of their lives.

Melinda earned her B.S. in Chemistry and Psychology from the University of Alabama and her J.D. from Samford University Cumberland School of Law. She proudly joined Slater Slater Schulman in 2025 and is licensed to practice law in Alabama, Maryland, and Virginia, with her District of Columbia license currently in final review.

Admitted:

• Alabama
• Maryland
• Virginia

• Criminal Defense
• Family Law
• Civil Rights

• Juris Doctor Degree – Samford University Cumberland School of Law
• B.S. in Chemistry and Psychology – The University of Alabama