Chief Judge Joel Dubina

On June 1, Judge Joel Dubina '73 became the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Since graduating from Cumberland, Chief Judge Dubina has had a distinguished career as a lawyer and a judge.

I first crossed paths with Judge Dubina in the early 1980's when I was representing the plaintiff class in a lawsuit alleging that the conditions in the mental health facilities in Alabama were unconstitutional. Judge Dubina was representing the governor. It was during that litigation that I came to realize that Judge Dubina was an exceptional lawyer but, more importantly, an exceptional person. Judge Dubina represented his client in that litigation with great skill. He was a respectful yet forceful advocvate.

In 1983, he was appointed a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Alabama. In 1986, he was appointed a United States District Judge and he was appointed to the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 1990.

As far as I know, Judge Dubina is the only person ever to hold all of the positions in the federal judiciary below the Supreme Court - Magistrate Judge, District Judge and Court of Appeals Judge. His service in all of those positions has been marked by courage, fairness and a tireless devotion to the rule of law. Those of us in the 11th Circuit are fortunate to have Judge Dubina lead our circuit. It is wonderful to have a fellow Cumberland grad in that position.