About Derrick Alexander
Derrick Alexander Pope is a attorney based in Decatur, Georgia, specializing in estate planning and probate law. He serves as the Chairman of The Pope Law Companies International, overseeing initiatives such as The Law Clinic, The Law Review, CounselDirect, and DA Pope Properties. The firm's mission is to enhance the service capacities of the legal profession and promote a sense of the law's "higher purpose" among those it serves. Mr. Pope earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received distinction in the Loyola Law Clinic.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his private practice, Mr. Pope is actively involved in legal education. He teaches at the Georgia State University College of Law and the Stetson School of Business and College of Professional Advancement at Mercer University. His courses include Legislative Drafting, Legislative Advocacy, and The Reflective Lawyer. He has previously taught Race, Ethnicity and the Law, and Probate Practice and Procedure.
Mr. Pope is deeply engaged with the State Bar of Georgia, serving on several standing committees. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgia Bar Journal, Vice-Chair of the Communications Committee, and a member of the Advisory Committee on Legislation. He is also a past Co-chair of the Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession. Beyond his professional roles, he is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
As an author, Mr. Pope has written two books: "By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans" and "Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning." He has also written several articles in the Georgia and National Bar Journals, and a major scholarly piece entitled "A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words.The Ninth Amendment." Mr. Pope is the founder and managing director of The Arc of Justice Foundation, Inc. and hosts its critically acclaimed podcast, "Hidden Legal Figures." He describes himself as a "composer and conductor of ideas," reflecting his commitment to exploring and sharing the contributions of lawyers and judges to the Civil Rights Movement.
