Hon. Jim Hughey III (Ret.)

Jim served as a trial judge in the Civil Division of the 10th Judicial Circuit of Alabama from 2013 to 2025.  During those years of service, he presided over thousands of civil cases, from small claims to complex, multi-party litigation. His comprehensive experience in handling jury trials, bench trials, and pre-trial motions positions him as a trusted choice for resolving even the most intricate legal disputes.

The 10th Judicial Circuit is the largest circuit in the State and covers Jefferson County, a diverse community of over 30 separate municipalities (including Birmingham) and approximately 675,000 citizens. During his years on the Bench, Jim handled every size, type, and description of civil case - from pro se small claims appeals to mass actions involving hundreds of parties and dozens of specialized lawyers from around the country. He presided over 120 complete jury trials and in doing so evaluated, supervised, and gave legal instructions to thousands of jurors and potential jurors. He also decided hundreds of bench trials where he personally evaluated the evidence and rendered a final decision. As a result of his covering an all-civil litigation docket, Jim also handled thousands of pre-trial motions and issues, including discovery disputes of all kinds, requests for injunctive relief, full and partial motions for summary judgment, expert witness challenges, and other matters.

Jim has frequently been appointed by the Chief Justice of Alabama to handle cases in other judicial circuits when the judges in those circuits have conflicts. He continues to take such appointments as a supernumerary judge, when needed.

While on the Bench, Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Circuit Judges Association and as Chair of the Education Committee for the Association. As Education Chair, he was responsible for leading the Committee’s efforts to plan and execute continuing legal education programs for sitting judges, and new judge training for lawyers preparing to join the Bench.

Jim is frequently called upon to speak at legal seminars and law schools on substantive civil law topics, jury trials, and pre-trial practice. He is immediate-past Chair of the Alabama Supreme Court Commission on Dispute Resolution. He presently serves on the Alabama Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on the Alabama Rules of Evidence and on the Alabama Pattern Jury Instruction Committee for civil cases.

He is a graduate of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum (2006), of Leadership Birmingham (2009), and of Leadership Alabama (2023).

He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham, one of the largest Rotary clubs in the world.

Prior to taking the Bench, Jim handled complex civil cases as a partner in a litigation boutique law firm.

He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and of the University of Alabama School of Law (summa cum laude). While in law school, he served as Editor in Chief of the Alabama Law Review.

• B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University
• University of Alabama School of Law (summa cum laude). While in law school, he served as Editor in Chief of the Alabama Law Review.

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