# Chris McCool > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chris_McCool > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chris_McCool.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCool > Source revision: 1347257182 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **James Christopher McCool** (born 1967 or 1968)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a justice of the [Supreme Court of Alabama](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Alabama) since 2025. He previously served as a judge of the [Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals](/source/Alabama_Court_of_Criminal_Appeals) from 2018 to 2025. ## Education In 1985, McCool graduated from Pickens Academy as valedictorian. He received a [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree *[summa cum laude](/source/Summa_cum_laude)* from the [University of Alabama](/source/University_of_Alabama) in 1990, with a double major in history and classics (with a concentration in Greek). He graduated from the [University of Alabama School of Law](/source/University_of_Alabama_School_of_Law) in 1993, where he served on the Honor Court. He was a member of the *Alabama Law Review*.[2][3] ## Career After graduating law school, he practiced law with attorney C.O. Burkhalter. In 1995, he was appointed as a full-time assistant district attorney for Pickens County, and in 2001 he became district attorney for the [24th Judicial Circuit](/source/Courts_of_Alabama). He has also served as a municipal court judge for the municipalities of Reform and Pickensville and as an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama School of Law from 1998 to 2000.[3] In July 2017, McCool announced his candidacy to serve as a judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.[4] On November 9, 2018, McCool was sworn in as a judge of the [Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals](/source/Alabama_Court_of_Criminal_Appeals) after facing no opposition in the election.[5] ### Alabama Supreme Court In January 2023, McCool announced his run for a seat on the Supreme Court of Alabama. He would fill the vacancy left by Associate Justice [Sarah Hicks Stewart](/source/Sarah_Hicks_Stewart), who ran for the position of chief justice.[6] On November 5, 2024, he went on to win election to the seat, unopposed.[7] He was sworn into office on January 24, 2025.[8] ## Personal life McCool and his wife, Sherri, have been married since Valentine’s Day 1992. They attend Zion Primitive Baptist Church, where McCool has served as a pastor since 2012. Together, they have four children and one grandchild.[3] ## References 1. ["2018 Election - Chris McCool"](https://birminghamwatch.org/chris-mccool/). *BirminghamWatch*. October 30, 2018. 1. ["Judge McCool"](https://judicial.alabama.gov/CourtMemberBio/ViewBio?id=55). *judicial.alabama.gov*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240818024759/https://judicial.alabama.gov/CourtMemberBio/ViewBio?id=55) August 18, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 18, 2024. 1. ["Biography"](https://mccoolforsupremecourt.com/about/). *Chris McCool for Supreme Court*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240818050532/https://mccoolforsupremecourt.com/about/) August 18, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 18, 2024. 1. Taylor, Stephanie (July 19, 2017). ["Chris McCool announces candidacy for appeals court"](https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/local/2017/07/19/chris-mccool-announces-candidacy-for-appeals-court/20120798007/). *The Tuscaloosa News*. Retrieved November 18, 2018. 1. Taylor, Stephanie (November 10, 2018). ["Longtime DA McCool becomes judge, swears in his successor"](https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/local/2018/11/10/longtime-district-attorney-chris-mccool-becomes-judge-swears-in-his-successor-andy-hamlin/8391498007/). *The Tuscaloosa News*. Retrieved November 18, 2024. 1. Cason, Mike (January 18, 2023). ["Republican Criminal Appeals Judge Chris McCool announces run for Alabama Supreme Court"](https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/republican-criminal-appeals-judge-chris-mccool-announces-run-for-alabama-supreme-court.html). *al*. Retrieved November 18, 2024. 1. ["Unofficial Election Night Results"](https://www2.alabamavotes.gov/electionNight/statewideResultsByContest.aspx?ecode=1001225). *Alabama Secretary of State*. Retrieved November 6, 2024. 1. Willis, Alexander (January 26, 2025). ["Alabama Supreme Court chief justice, associate justices and more take oath of office"](https://aldailynews.com/alabama-supreme-court-chief-justice-associate-justices-and-more-take-oath-of-office/). *Alabama Daily News*. Retrieved January 30, 2025. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chris McCool](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCool) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_McCool?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.