Judge Ralph Cook Becomes City Attorney for Birmingham

Judge Ralph Cook will be leaving Hare Wynn in early January to become the City Attorney for The City of Birmingham. Hare Wynn’s loss will be The City of Birmingham’s great gain.

William Bell, Mayor of the City of Birmingham, made the announcement during the Birmingham City Commission’s weekly meeting.

“Judge Ralph Cook has honored me by agreeing to head up our legal department,” stated Mayor Bell. We have heard nothing but positive, glowing remarks about his integrity and professionalism.”

Judge Cook spoke briefly at the commission meeting, thanking Mayor Bell for considering him for the appointment.

“I am delighted to be a part of the City of Birmingham. We are excited to continue the work of making Birmingham a better place to live.”

Hare Wynn’s Managing Partner, Leon Ashford, says the City of Birmingham will be well-served with the addition of Judge Cook to Mayor Bell’s team.

“For over a decade, Hare Wynn was blessed to have Ralph Cook as an outstanding trial lawyer and valued member of our firm. His integrity, compassion for clients and commitment to doing the right thing at the right time, leave a lasting legacy. We will miss Ralph and wish him well as he becomes Birmingham’s next City Attorney. The Mayor has chosen wisely.”

Mr. Cook joined Hare Wynn in 2001, after serving 24 years as a District Judge, Circuit Judge and an Associate Justice on the Alabama Supreme Court. He was appointed Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama in 1993 and was elected to this position in 1994. He served on the Supreme Court until 2001.

During his 40 years of bar admission, Judge Cook has had a unique view of Alabama’s judicial system. As a judge, he has tried more than 200 jury trials and heard several thousand non-jury trials. As a lawyer, he has handled jury trials as diverse as personal injury/wrongful death to business and commercial litigation.

In 2012, Mr. Cook was the recipient of Alabama Appleseed Brewer-Torbert Public Service Award. In that same year, he was also inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor.

John Haley, a fellow Hare Wynn attorney and close personal friend, says, “Judge Cook was an outstanding jurist and did exemplary work at Hare Wynn on a number of benchmark cases. His law partners at this firm are sorry to see him go. He will certainly be a tremendous asset to the City of Birmingham.”

For a detailed bio of Judge Cook, visit his bio page.