Honorable Sue Bell Cobb

CHIEF JUSTICE SUE BELL COBB (RET), Member At Large                

Retired Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, who grew up in Evergreen, AL resides in Montgomery, Alabama. She graduated from The University of Alabama, where she obtained a degree in History, and n 1981, she earned her Juris Doctor Degree from The University of Alabama School of Law.

Immediately following her admission to the Bar, Chief Justice Cobb was appointed in 1981 as District Judge of Conecuh County, becoming one of the State's youngest judges. She was elected and re-elected to that position. During her tenure on the bench, Chief Justice Cobb accepted trial court assignments in approximately forty counties. She was the first woman elected to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in 1994 and served two terms. In 2006, she became the first woman elected as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. During her time leading the unified court system of Alabama, Judge Cobb was known for accomplishing many reforms: sentencing reform, juvenile justice reform and statewide eFilng of all court cases. She received a national award from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals for the largest increase of model drug courts in the nation.

Chief Justice Cobb served as President of the Alabama Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. As a result of her efforts in the field of juvenile justice, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Juvenile Detention Association, the Juvenile Probation Officer Institute Outstanding Service Award, and the Children's Voice Award. She is a founding member of Children First Foundation, which is dedicated to securing direly needed funds for the juvenile justice system and services for children and families. She is also a lifetime honorary member of the Juvenile Justice Association of Alabama and the Alabama Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Chief Justice Cobb is a graduate of Leadership Alabama and is a Stennis Center Pacesetter. She received the 1999 Public Citizen of the Year Award by the Alabama Chapter of National Social Workers Association, the 1995 Montgomery Advertiser Woman of Achievement Award and the 1992 Judicial Conservationist Award of the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Judge Cobb was named State Winner of the Bishop Barron State Employee Public Service Award. Judge Cobb is a past member and officer of the Evergreen Industrial Development Board. Judge Cobb was inducted into the Mortar Board of the University of Alabama and received the 2019 National Mortar Board Alumni Achievement Award. She is a member of First United Methodist Church of Montgomery.

Since her retirement as Chief Justice, Chief Justice Cobb has taught at Jones Law School and the Honors College at the University of Alabama, and has consulted on a number of cases.

She is married to William J. Cobb and together they have three children Caitlin, Bill, and Andy and four grandchildren.