Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rosen Harwood announced the addition of the Honorable Scott Donaldson to the firm as a shareholder in litigation, appellate practice and mediation.

Judge Donaldson's nearly 40 years of experience in both private practice and on the trial and appellate benches allows him to provide excellent guidance to clients at any stage of litigation and as a neutral party to assist litigants through mediation.

“Scott has had an outstanding career as an attorney, and the firm is thrilled he has chosen to continue his career with us,” said Rosen Harwood President Matt Tompkins. “Having served as circuit court judge for Tuscaloosa County and judge on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, his experience and outstanding reputation will be a great asset we can offer to our clients.”

Judge Donaldson has been an attorney or trial judge in over 180 jury trials and in hundreds of bench trials, has voted on over 5,000 appellate matters as an appellate judge and has mediated over 100 cases. Donaldson is a faculty member of the National Judicial College and has taught fifteen, four-day evidence courses to hundreds of trial judges across the country. He has also taught evidence courses for 12 state judicial associations, the American Bar Association's Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and for the judges of the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Donaldson teaches evidence and trial skills courses for the Alabama Circuit Judges Association and Alabama District Judges Association, including new judge orientation sessions for each association and for the Probate Judges Association.

In 2003, Judge Donaldson was appointed circuit judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Alabama. He served in that position until he was appointed to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in 2013. While on the appellate bench, he was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as the chief judge of the Alabama Court of the Judiciary. During his tenure on the bench, Judge Donaldson chaired and served on numerous judicial and legal committees including the Executive Committee of the Circuit
Judges Association.

Following retirement from the bench in 2021, Judge Donaldson returned to private practice where he counsels clients in areas concerning disputes, trials and appellate issues.

A graduate of The University of Alabama, Judge Donaldson received his bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration. He graduated cum laude with a Juris Doctorate from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, where he was a member of the Curia Honoris Honor Society.

Judge Donaldson is currently president of the James Horton Inn of Court as well as a member of numerous professional organizations including the National Academy for Distinguished Neutrals, a panel arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, the American Bar Association, the Alabama Bar Association and the Alabama Law Foundation, where he is a fellow and board secretary, board member and commissioner representing Alabama on the National Uniform Law Commission. He chairs a task force created by the Supreme Court to develop rules for confidentiality and privacy in court records and was appointed by the Supreme Court to be the vice chair of the Rules of Evidence Committee.

He served as an adjunct faculty member for The University of Alabama School of Law and the Culverhouse College of Business as well as the Alabama Judicial College. In addition to educating Alabama’s future leaders, he is a sought-after speaker at legal and judicial education conferences and has written an extensive list of publications including the Alabama Trial Notebook.

“Rosen Harwood has a well-deserved reputation for delivering high quality legal services efficiently, effectively and ethically with a client-focused approach,” said Judge Donaldson. “I look forward to working with these excellent lawyers and staff members in appellate matters, litigation and mediation.”