Jere Locke Beasley (born December 12, 1935) is an American attorney and politician; he served as acting governor of Alabama from June 5 to July 7, 1972. His law firm has been noted nationally for winning major awards for its clients; among them was an $11.8 billion punitive damage award against ExxonMobil in 2003. Early life, education and marriage Beasley was born in 1935 in Tyler, Texas, the son of Browder Locke and Florence (née Camp) Beasley. He was raised in Clayton, Alabama, where his father ran a small grocery store. Beasley received a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University and in 1958 married Sara Baker. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1962. Career He worked for various law firms until he opened his own practice in 1965. Alabama politics In 1970 Beasley won the first round of the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor but he failed to win a majority. He won the runoff. He was serving as 22nd Lieutenant Governor when Governor George Corley Wallace was shot and severely injured in an assassination attempt in Laurel, Maryland, on May 15, 1972. Since Wallace was out-of-state for more than 20 days, recovering in a Maryland hospital, the Alabama Constitution required that the lieutenant governor take over temporarily as acting governor. In 1974, Beasley faced a challenge from Charles Woods, who finished first in the primary. Beasley, like in 1970, won the runoff. He sought the nomination for governor in 1978, placing fifth. In 2009, Beasley served as the campaign chair for Alabama gubernatorial candidate Artur Davis. Private practice After a strong but unsuccessful push to win the governor's office during the 1978 election, Beasley left politics. He and his wife, Sara, were at peace with the outcome. Determined to pay all the political campaign's financial obligations, the Beasleys realized it was time for Jere Beasley to return to practicing law. With no offers on the table from existing firms, the option they were left with was for Beasley to start his own, new firm. After seeking the advice of his friend and mentor, the esteemed civil rights leader and Federal Judge Frank M. Johnson, Beasley was clear about his calling and the purpose of the firm. His new practice would be a safe harbor for those who need help. He would do what many lawyers refused to do at the