JUDGE L. SCOTT COOGLER ('81)

Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law

Judge Coogler (Class of 1981) served as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama from 2003-2023, including as Chief Judge from 2020-2023. Before his appointment to the federal bench, he was a Circuit Judge in Tuscaloosa. In 2020, he was elected by the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to serve on the Judicial Conference of the United States, which formulates administrative policy for the federal judiciary. Immediately upon his election to the Conference, Judge Coogler was appointed by the Chief Justice to serve on the Executive Committee, which consists of seven members of the Conference. He served in this role for his entire five-year term on the Conference. Judge Coogler has been a mentor to hundreds of Alabama Law students over the years, including the many students who served as his judicial clerks or completed internships/externships in his chambers.