Judge John H. England

CLEO 1968

“Given my background at the time, I am certain that had I not attended the CLEO Program during the summer of 1968, I would not have gone to law school and pursued a legal career.”

Judge John H. England, Jr. was born in Uniontown, Alabama and attended public schools in Birmingham, AL. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute with a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1969 and graduated from the University of Alabama Law School in 1974. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Tuskegee University in October 1999. Judge England served 2 years in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman. He began practicing law in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1974 and was elected to the Tuscaloosa City Council in 1985, where he served two terms and was Chairman of the Finance and Community Development Committee. He was appointed by Governor Jim Folsom to the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in June 1993 and was elected to a full term in November 1994, where he served until he was appointed by Governor Don Siegelman to the Alabama Supreme Court in September 1999. Judge England served on the Alabama Supreme Court from September 1999 until January 2001. He returned to the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama in January 2001 and was re-elected to the Circuit Court in November 2002 and November 2008.

Judge England serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama Systems. He is a graduate of the 1996 Leadership Alabama Class. He has also held leadership positions in numerous civic, professional, and social organizations on the local and state level, including Temporary Emergency Services, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Jaycees, Tuscaloosa Exchange Club, Tuscaloosa Civitan Club and the Tuscaloosa Tennis Club. He currently serves or has served in the past on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs, Barnes Branch YMCA, Community Services Program of West Alabama, Theatre Tuscaloosa, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts, Black Warrior Council, Girl Scouts, 21st Century Youth Leadership, the Good Samaritan Health Clinic, Easter Seals West Alabama, Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, West Alabama Aids Outreach, Elizabeth Project Care, Indian Rivers Mental Health Board, A Plus and UAB Health System Board. His professional memberships include Alabama Circuit Judges Association, Tuscaloosa County Bar Association, Alabama State Bar, Alabama Lawyers Association (past state president 1988-89), Inns of Courts and Alabama Judicial Council where he currently serves as President. He currently serves as past President of the Alabama Circuit Judges Association.

Judge England is a member of Bailey Tabernacle C.M.E. Church, where he serves as a Trustee and member of the male chorus. He is the father of 3 children: John, III., recently selected U.S. Magistrate for the Northern District of Alabama in Birmingham, AL; April England-Albright, a practicing attorney in Atlanta, GA; and Christopher, an Assistant City Attorney in Tuscaloosa, AL and member of the Alabama House of Representatives and the grandfather of seven grandchildren, Ty, Jay, Jelani, Autumn, Alexandria, Kennedi and Christopher Jr.