Justice Greg Cook confirmed to federal bench in Northern Alabama

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Alabama Supreme Court Justice Greg Cook to be the U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Alabama.

The upper chamber confirmed the associate justice along party lines 49-27. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in June at the recommendation of U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. 

Before the vote, Britt commended Cook’s service on the Supreme Court. He was elected in 2022 after a career at Balch & Bingham, LLP.

“Greg wrote the Alabama Civil Procedure Rules of Civil Procedure book, which is quite thick. Greg would take it out around as he talked to what he would hope to be the people he was able to serve on the Alabama Supreme Court, the citizens of the great state of Alabama,” she said. “He would always tell them the one thing that they could count on from him is not only his tireless hard work, but that he would be boring and predictable. What he meant by that was he was going to follow the law.”

Cook recused himself in now-Gov.-elect Tuberville’s Supreme Court case that challenged the then-candidate’s qualifications to be governor. 

In a social media post, Tuberville congratulated Cook.

His nomination leaves his seat vacant on the Alabama Supreme Court. Gov. Kay Ivey will nominate a replacement. Ivey also congratulated Cook in a social media post. 

“Governor Ivey is prepared to make an appointment to the Alabama Supreme Court. As we await the president’s signature on Greg Cook’s judicial commission, we anticipate being able to make an announcement soon,” said Gina Maiola, a spokesperson for Ivey, in a statement Thursday evening.