I am a lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa County. I graduated from Tuscaloosa County High School and the University of Alabama. I obtained a degree from the University in criminal justice. After graduating from the University, I attended law school and graduated from the Birmingham School of Law (BSL) While working my way through law school, I graduated with a Juris Doctor degree. During my time at BSL, I was the Vice President of the Senior Class and a member of Sigma Delta Kappa Law fraternity. I was admitted to the Alabama bar in 1986.
During college, I participated in the BF Goodrich Tire summer program as a tire manufacturer in the plant. This job offered me valuable knowledge concerning tire construction and defects. This knowledge allowed me to be one of the first attorneys to file tire separation cases involving Fire Stone Tires on Ford Explorers. For that, I was awarded by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America the Steven J. Sharp public service award.
Also, while in college, I followed his father’s footsteps and worked in law enforcement as a University of Alabama police officer. My time as a police officer, as well as growing up in a law enforcement community has rendered me uniquely qualified as an attorney to investigate civil, criminal, and domestic cases. This time in law enforcement has assisted me in my representation of college students and protecting them from a criminal record that could adversely affect their employment prospects for life. I further counsel these students to ensure that the mistakes they make in college do not happen again.
In 2011, I represented, to a successful conclusion, nine of the thirteen families of the miners killed in the Brookwood mine explosion. I also represented most of the miners injured in the explosion. While he was working on the mining case, Bob gained valuable knowledge regarding the operation of coal mines and the men and women who work in these mines. Since then, I have represented many miners injured on the job.
My unique work experience has assisted me in representing people from all walks of life resulting in multi-million dollar settlements for civil and divorce cases. I am proud to have served the people of Alabama for over 30 years, and plan to continue representing and helping the people of Alabama in the future.
Practice areas
Languages spoken
English
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
AL | Occupational License - Authorized to Practice | 1986 | 11/10/2020 |
Legal answers | 0 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Award name | Grantor | Date granted |
---|---|---|
Distinguished | Martindale-Hubbell | 2017 |
Distinguished | Martindale-Hubbell | 2016 |
Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award | Association of Trial Lawyers of America | 2001 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Owner | Cockrell & Cockrell, Attorneys at Law | 1992 - Present |
Partner | Burns, Ellis, Cockrell and Cockrell | 1991 - 1992 |
Partner | Burns, Ellis, Copeland, Cockrell, Cockrell and Lisenby | 1990 - 1991 |
Owner | Cockrell & Cockrell | 1988 - 1990 |
Partner | Dickerson and Cockrell | 1986 - 1988 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Alabama State Bar | Member | 1985 - Present |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
Birmingham School of Law (Birmingham, AL) | JD - Juris Doctor | 1985 |
University of Alabama | BA - Bachelor of Arts | 1979 |
Law Enforcement Academy Univeristy of Alabama | Diploma | 1979 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Tuscaloosa County Bar Association Spring CLE Seminar | Anatomy of A Mine Diasaster | 2015 |
Continuing Legal Education | Domestic Relations | 1994 |
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