I grew up in Bay Minette, graduated from Bayside Academy, and during the summers lived in Orange Beach and worked as a deckhand on the charter boat Miss Celeste. I attended Samford University where I majored in Southern History and graduated in 2009. During college I obtained my real estate salesperson’s license, and also my 100-ton captain’s license from the United States Coast Guard. I graduated with honors from Cumberland School of Law in 2012 and had opportunities to remain in Birmingham and join established regional law firms. I chose instead to move home to Baldwin County and enter private practice with my father as soon as I passed the bar. I started dating my wife, Laura, during our senior year of high school. We were married in 2011 and have two children—JB (9) and Evie (7). We are members of Orange Beach Church (formerly Orange Beach United Methodist Church), where I assist with managing the church’s planned giving fund. Serving as a past fundraising chair for the local branch of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society taught me to be bold asking for money when the purpose is to help other people. I have served on the Board of Mobile Baykeeper since 2025. In my spare time I like to fish, play golf, and hunt what’s in season when time permits.
I’ll start by telling you why I am not running. I don’t want recognition, influence or status. I believe those things are corrosive to one’s character when pursued for their own ends. I am running because I am well qualified to serve on the bench, because I want to contribute to the fabric of Baldwin County in the best and most significant way I can, and because I am fortunate to have the support of many members of the Baldwin County Bench and Bar. Among the Baldwin County judges supporting my campaign are Judge Clark Stankoski, Judge Byron Brackin, and Judge Ashley Siebert, as well as retired Judges Jody Bishop and Joe Norton. Judge Siebert was recently appointed by Governor Ivey to serve on the Baldwin Circuit Court, and it is her vacant seat on the District Bench I am running to fill.
Members of my family have served or been associated with the Baldwin County Bar for more than 125 years, and I want to serve on the bench to continue that tradition. My twice-great-grandfather, Joe Blackburn, was a member of the Commission tasked with building the Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette in 1901. My grandfather, JB Blackburn, began practicing law in Bay Minette in the 1920s and continued until his death in 1989. My father opened his law practice in that same office in the early 90s, and that’s where I began my practice in 2012. If I am elected, I will view it as an honor to continue my family’s tradition of service to the Baldwin County Bar. If I had to boil my decision down to one word, I’d tell you that I am running because I want to serve.
I began practicing law with Blackburn & Conner, PC in 2012. Although I have always considered myself a real estate attorney, my focus on land use and real property broadened to include all different kinds of civil litigation. I have experience trying cases in Alabama’s circuit and district courts and trying bench and jury trials in Alabama’s federal courts, including occasional appearances in Bankruptcy Court. Although I have plenty of experience trying cases, I consider appellate work to be the most fun and rewarding part of my civil practice. I love to research and learn the law, and it is rewarding to turn that knowledge into compelling and successful arguments on appeal. Several of my appeals have resulted in written opinions of the Alabama Supreme Court, and in that way, I have made small contributions to the changing landscape of our State’s common law. I have tried high-stakes class action lawsuits in federal court, small claims cases in the Baldwin County District Court, and many other matters in between. From 2021 until the present, I have appeared in Alabama’s state and federal courts defending the Constitutional rights of a very large number of Baldwin County landowners against improper fees charged in connection with the construction of new homes and buildings. While I was with Blackburn & Conner, we had the privilege to serve as Baldwin County Attorneys for about ten years. I also advised and represented Baldwin EMC for most of my years in private practice, and I often represented the cooperative’s interests in Baldwin County’s District and Circuit Courts.
My years in private practice taught me that it is crucial work hard, be honest, grow every day as a student of the law, and to always listen to the opposing party—especially when it’s the last thing you feel like doing. I learned that research, analysis, and legal writing are my greatest strengths as an attorney, as well as my favorite part of the job. If I am elected, I will bring my passion for learning and writing to the bench and will do my level best to ensure that the law is applied evenly, correctly and fairly to everyone who comes into court.
When our daughter Evie was about four years old, we learned she has a genetic condition called HIVEP2 (named for the gene it affects) that is known to affect fewer than 100 people worldwide. We don’t know much about the disorder, and there are only a handful of organizations in the United States that study it. In Evie’s case, the condition causes autism, behavioral challenges, and cognitive developmental delay. After we learned about Evie’s diagnosis, I chose to transition away from a litigation practice so that I could have more control over my schedule and more flexibility to spend time with our family. I kept my law practice active during those years, handling appeals, transactional matters, and a handful of litigated matters. It has become apparent to me over the last five years that I want to serve those around me however I can, and I believe that seeking election to the District Bench is the best way I can give back to Baldwin County. My family and I feel that now is the time for me to take this step, and I would be honored to have your support at the polls on May 19.
