Former firm president and presidential historian heads back to the Pensacola Catholic High School classroom.
After more than two decades practicing law, Clark Partington shareholder Alan Manning is trading his legal briefs for lesson plans, retiring from the firm this week to return to his first passion: teaching history at Pensacola Catholic High School.
Manning, who joined Clark Partington in 1998, built a distinguished legal career specializing in real estate, finance, and business transactions. The University of Southern California graduate, who also earned his law degree from UCLA and a Master’s in History from the University of West Florida, served as the firm’s president from 2022 to 2024.
- “We are grateful for Alan’s years of service and the positive impact he’s made on our firm and our community,” said current Firm President Keith Bell. “His retirement is bittersweet; while we will miss practicing law with him, we wish him all the best as he continues to inspire students and share his love of history.”
Beyond his legal practice, Manning has made significant contributions to regional economic development, serving as legal counsel for Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. Working alongside Scott Remington, he supported transformative economic development initiatives across the eight-county Triumph region of the Florida Panhandle.
- Manning’s dual expertise in law and history has made him a unique figure in the Pensacola community. A recognized presidential historian, he authored “Father Lincoln: The Untold Story of Abraham Lincoln and His Boys” and has served as an adjunct instructor at UWF. His connection to Catholic High runs deep; he previously taught there during a sabbatical from 2012 to 2017.
His return to the classroom reflects what colleagues describe as Manning’s enduring passion for education and his desire to shape the next generation through his love of American history.
Love of Teaching
In 2016, I interviewed Manning about his book and his sabbatical.
- “I practiced at a great firm, great partners, and I really loved the practice,” Manning explained. “All of my life, my hobby was presidential history. I loved presidential history. That’s what I did in my spare time, and I always wanted to write a book. It was just something in the back of my mind.”
The turning point came when Manning began teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of West Florida. “A few years ago, I started teaching as an adjunct professor up at UWF in the history department, and I just started really enjoying teaching and decided that I wanted to step away from the practice and teach full-time and write, and that’s what I did.”
Six years later, I interviewed Manning on Presidents’ Day. Read more.