Joel F. Dubina was born in Elkhart, Indiana, but grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1970, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Alabama and a Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1973.
Judge Dubina began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert Varner of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama from 1973-74. He then worked in a private practice of law in Montgomery for nine years and was selected to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Middle District from 1983 to 1986. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan nominated Dubina to take the seat Varner vacated on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Judge Dubina served in that role until 1990. That same year, he was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which hears challenges to decisions from federal district courts located within Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Dubina was confirmed by the Senate on Sept. 28, 1990, received his commission on Oct. 1, 1990, and served as Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit from June 2009 until July 31, 2013. He assumed Senior United States circuit judge status on Oct. 24, 2013, his 66th birthday.
One highlight of Dubina’s impressive career is serving as member of the three-judge panel in 2009 that denied an “Application for Leave to File a Second or Successive Habeas Corpus Petition” in the Troy Davis case. He was also on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit panel that reviewed Roger Vinson’s decision in Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Judge Dubina has a well-earned reputation among his colleagues as an exceptional jurist who always addresses both his colleagues on the court and the lawyers who come before him respectfully. It is no wonder that he regularly leads others to concurrence rather than dissention. This is no small feat especially in matters where consensus is not easily achievable.
Dubina has also had an impact on so many young people as they find their way in life. To date, 74 law clerks have had the privilege of working with him during his nearly 40-year career on the bench. Law clerks are young lawyers who provide direct support to their federal judge by researching issues and assisting in the drafting of legal opinions for use in cases before the court. A federal judicial clerkship is a prestigious position awarded to those who have excelled academically in the top law schools. Through their clerkship, these young lawyers view the justice system from the perspective of the judge. This is an invaluable opportunity to gain an insider’s view of how judges make decisions. Without a doubt, every one of Judge Dubina’s law clerks would say that he selflessly gave them his time mentoring and empowering them like a father would his own children. Judge Dubina has not only been an exemplary teacher of the law, but he has also served as a father figure to so many men and women, many of whom have gone on to mentor countless others.
Seeking harmony is a way of life for Judge Dubina and his wonderful wife Beth, who for years have promoted unity and a culture of hospitality among the court, continually hosting visiting judges and their law clerks in their own home during almost every oral argument scheduled in Montgomery. Their daughter Martha Roby became an attorney and a politician, first serving on the city council. She entered politics and was elected in 2010 to the United States House of Representatives from Alabama (AL-2) defeating incumbent congressman Bobby Bright. She has been re-elected to successive terms.