Judith S. Crittenden, a native of the state of Alabama, is the founder of THE CRITTENDEN FIRM, P.C. She graduated cum laude from Judson College in 1967 and Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in 1970. After graduation she worked in the field of law reform as an attorney for the Birmingham Area Legal Aid Society. In 1972 she became the Deputy District Attorney at the Jefferson County Family Court handling cases involving both juveniles and adults. She was the first woman in the state of Alabama to serve as a Deputy District Attorney. In 1974 she entered private practice. Since that time she has represented men and women, served as an advocate for mothers and fathers, children and grandparents in a wide range of cases in the family law field. She is a recipient of the highest rating (AV) attainable by Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar indicating a very high to preeminent professional skill and very high ethical standards. She has also appeared in Best Lawyers in America.

Judy is regarded as one of the top domestic relations attorneys in Alabama and handles a variety of referrals from around the country. She has an excellent reputation in representing individuals in divorce, child custody, and other related family law matters. While serving clients in the midst of transition and crises, the firm maintains respect for the family unit and integrity of the marriage. With these values in mind, the firm provides traditional divorce representation and litigation services, while also offering clients alternative methods of dispute resolution.

Judy has been a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1995. She speaks at Continuing Legal Education Programs throughout the United States and has contributed to a variety of publications: 

She was a founder of the Women Lawyer’s Section of the Birmingham Bar Association and of the Family Violence Center of the YWCA. She has received numerous awards in the community and from her alma matter, Cumberland School of Law for her work in family law.

Professional Associations

• Alabama Bar Association : Charter Member of Family Law Section
• American Bar Association : Family Law Section
• Birmingham Bar Association : Charter Member of Woman's Section
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Honors and Awards

• 2005 - Women Business Owners Hall of Fame - Trailblazer Award presented by NAWBO
• 2004-2005 - Cumberland School of Law Samford University Lawyer in Residence
• 2004 – Finalist in Birmingham Business Journal’s Top Birmingham Women Award.
• 2004 – Finalist in Birmingham Business Journal’s Best in Business Executive of the Year Award
• 2004 - Cumberland School of Law Samford University Lawyer in Residence
• 2002 - Recipient of the Cumberland School of Law Samford University Distinguished Alumna Award
• 1999 - Recipient of the BLSA Lawyer of the Year Award
• 1997 - First Place Birmingham Bar Association Bench & Bar Fishing Tournament

Education

• Judson College, Marion, Alabama (B.A., cum laude, 1967)
• Samford University- Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham Alabama (J.D., cum laude, 1970)

Bar Admissions

• United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• State of Alabama

Activities

• Leadership Birmingham, 1986, (Steering Committee, 1988 to present).
• Cumberland School of Law Advisory Board, 1990-97 and 2003-04
• President of the National Alumni Association, 1999-2001
• Women’s Network
• Downtown Rotary 2002 to present.
• UAB Honors Program Advisory Board, 1997-2004
• Community Grief Support Service Board, 2004-2006
• The Newcomen Society of the United States

Publications:

• Legal Status of Homemakers in Alabama, National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, Department of State, U.S.A. (1977);
• Book review, Alabama Alimony and Child Custody, 14 Cumberland Law Review, 265 (1984).
•  "Default Divorce," Marital Law, Alabama Bar Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Summer 1985.
• Contributing Editor for Alabama Law, The Family Law Reporter , BNA, 1989.
• Drafted Code of Alabama, 1975, Title 30-3-5, Venue statute for modification or enforcement of Divorce Decrees, 1970.
• "Preparing a Client for Settlement,"The Joy of Settlement, American Bar Association, Spring 1997.
• Contributing Editor to Chapter 15 "Family Law", Basic Manual for the Lawyers Assistant, Sixth Edition, 2001

Continuing Legal Education Presentations:

• Marital Law “Default Divorce,” ABICLE, 1985.
• The Uniform Child Custody Juris ACT and The Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, ABICLE - Birmingham, February 1986.
• "Role of the Guardian ad Litem in Domestic Relations Cases", Trial Judges of Alabama, Spring 1986.
• The Proposed Adoption Code, "Hot Tips",  ABICLE, September, 1990.
• “Making a 'Briefcase Book,'” AAML–Alabama Chapter, 1995.
• Women in the Legal Profession – “Finding the Glass Slipper That Fits: An Overview of the Diverse Career: Tracts and Options Available for Women Attorneys, Including a Discussion of Job Re-entry,” ABICLE & UA School of Law, 1995.
• Anatomy of a Divorce – “Initial Pleading and Discovery (Plaintiff),” AAML-Alabama Chapter, 1996.
• “Whatever Happened to Pendente Lite Attorney’s Fees?," ABICLE, 1996.
• “Lawyering Skills 101 – Domestic Relations – “The 'Nuts and Bolts' of Divorce Work,” Cumberland School of Law, September 1997.
• Advanced Family Law – “Conquering Complex, Unique, and Difficult Issues – Focusing on Negotiation,” Cumberland School of Law, February 1997.
• Fee Issues and Productive Billing, AAML-Alabama Chapter, 2001.
• Family Law v. Bankruptcy Law, Thirteenth Annual Bankruptcy Law Seminar, October 2002.
• "Trading Spaces," Using Other State's Solutions to Solve Our Problems. AAML-Alabama Chapter, 2004.
• Family Law, "Practicing Family Law and Managing Your Office Better and Smarter", American Bar Association - Family Law Section in Austin, Texas in Spring 2005.  Also, presented at National CLE Conference, LEI in Colorado in January 2005 and at Eighth Annual Kentucky AAML Chapter - Louisville Bar Association in April 2005.
• Domestic Violence Law in Alabama: Civil, "Tort Law Claims", ABICLE, May 2005.
• Social Security Law for the Divorce Practitioner, Alabama Family Law Section, October 2006.
• Learning from the Mistakes of Others:  Disaster Preparedness and Your Law Firm, American Bar Association Family Law Section Fall CLE Conference, October 2006.
• Marital Torts, LEI, January 2007.
• "Practicing Family Law and Managing Your Office Better and Smarter", National CLE Conference, LEI, 2005