Judge Hugh A. Locke 1885-1971 Founder The Birmingham School of Law was founded when Judge Hugh A. Locke began tutoring young men for the bar admission test in 1915. Judge Locke was a prominent attorney, Judge of the Chancery Court, and President of the Birmingham Bar Association. As the number of young men grew, classes began to meet at Birmingham Southern College, where Judge Locke was a Trustee for 55 years. Over the years the school has held classes at the Birmingham Y.M.C.A. and the Jefferson County Courthouse. Currently the school has more than 450 students and its classrooms and administrative offices are in the historic Frank Nelson Building in downtown Birmingham.