Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham joins the Birmingham legal community in mourning the loss of the Honorable Joseph Louis Boohaker, who passed away June 6 after battling a long illness.
Judge Boohaker served as Presiding Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit in Alabama from 2015 until his retirement this February. Prior to that he served for 15 years as Circuit Court Judge in the Civil Division in Jefferson County. He was a supporter of VLB and past honorary board member who understood the value of pro bono service.
Those who knew Judge Boohaker and argued cases in his court remember his keen intellect, commitment to justice, and his uniquely engaging manner.
“Judge Boohaker always met lawyers and clients with a warm smile and a firm grasp of the case before him,” says John Bolus, a longtime VLB volunteer and Maynard attorney. “Of course, you didn’t just get to argue your own case when you met with Judge Boohaker on pretrial motions. He usually disposed of your matter and then set aside some time to get your views on a particularly interesting set of issues from another case. He made sure he had thought about those issues from every angle.
“Judge Boohaker loved the law, but he loved people more. He was such a gift to Jefferson County, to Alabama, to this country, and to the country of his ancestors, Lebanon.”
We offer our condolences to the Boohaker family and join them in celebrating his life and many contributions to this community. He will be missed.
