Restoring historic structures

Immediately upon leaving office as circuit judge in 2001, Judge Segrest established the Segrest Law Firm in the John Massey House at 301 South Main Street, Tuskegee, Alabama.  John Massey was president of what is now Huntingdon College when it was located in Tuskegee. Attorney Segrest did a historic restoration of the house, built in 1910, to serve as the first office for his firm.
Later, the main office for the firm was relocated to Tallassee, Alabama, where Judge Segrest’s residence is also located. Judge Segrest purchased and restored the General Birkett Frye House, which is now the location of the firm's office. That historic structure housed army officers of the Confederate States of America who were in charge of the armory located in Tallassee. It is one of the few remaining structures constructed by the Confederate States ofAmerica.

A central core of ideas

During his long legal and scholarly career, JudgeSegrest has engaged in a broad spectrum of intellectual endeavor. His experience is reflected in an interesting collection of books, descriptions of programs, editorials, essays, and a master’s degree thesis. While the topics are broad-ranging, a central core of ideas runs through the collection and provides insight into the philosophy that he brings to bear on the solution of legal problems. These central core values are the foundation of Judge Segrest's success as a civil, business, estate planning, and divorce attorney.

A motive theory of law

Judge Segrest has always been interested in legal philosophy and in the relationship between law, literature, religion, morals, ethics, and economics. In his book Conscience and Command, published by Scholars Press in 1994, Judge Segrest describes a motive theory of law. He shows that the deep origins of law in human nature can be found in the mythos of the culture combined with the psychology of human motivation. Systems of norms evolve from interaction of these two dynamic sources. Read about these ideas in excerpts from Conscience and Command.

Probation sponsorship program

Putting theory into action during his tenure as judge, Judge Segrest created a program called "Probation Sponsorship." Individuals convicted of crimes were encouraged to seek sponsors from their own community who would help guide them through a period of probation as an alternative to incarceration. This approach uniquely draws on the natural dynamics that result in moral formation.  

Community involvement

Attorney Segrest has brought his knowledge of law, philosophy, economics, and systems organization to bear on problems confronting his own community. As a member of the Greater Tallassee Area Chamber of Commerce, he has created a campaign called Tallassee NOW!