Josh Hayes
Attorney
Josh has dedicated his career to tackling some of the most pressing social challenges of our time. Appointed as a Deputy Attorney General by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, he played a pivotal role in the state’s efforts to address the opioid crisis and the devastating impact of overprescription, oversupply and illegal distribution on local communities. Josh has also been at the forefront of high-stakes litigation targeting pornography companies to prevent them from profiting from sex trafficking and child exploitation. Through his work, Josh is committed to safeguarding Alabama’s future and advocating on behalf of those affected by these crises.
Practice Areas
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Josh's Qualifications:
ASSOCIATIONS
Josh was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 2004. He is a past-President of the Alabama Association for Justice where he also serves on the Board of Directors, Elections Committee, Executive Committee, and Legislative Committee and is the past Chair of the Emerging Leaders Section. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the Southern Trial Lawyers Association. Josh has served on the Board of Directors of the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Tuscaloosa medical clinic treating disadvantaged citizens of West Alabama who are without health insurance. He is a former member of The University’s Honors College Board of Visitors and the advisory board of The University of Alabama’s Blackburn Institute, a group whose purpose is to create a network of student leaders who strive to improve the quality of life for all of Alabama’s citizens.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In 2012, Josh was selected to become a member Class 8 of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum. He has been named as an Alabama SuperLawyer from since 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he was selected for national membership into The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40 (one of only 40 trial lawyers in the state of Alabama chosen “based on performance as an exceptional young trial lawyer.”) In 2014, he was named one of Alabama’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers and was honored by the American Society of Legal Advocates as one of the Top 40 under 40 Litigation Lawyers in Alabama. Also in 2014, Josh was appointed by the Supreme Court of Alabama to the Standing Committee on Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure where he still serves today. Josh serves as co-chair of the Alabama State Bar Lawyer Public Relations Task Force for 2022-23. The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys recognized Josh as one of the “10 Best” personal injury attorneys in Alabama in 2014. In 2012, he was recognized as one of Alabama’s Outstanding Young Lawyers by the American Registry. Josh is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. This distinction is earned by the confidential peer review of colleagues and judges in the lawyer’s area.
EDUCATION
He graduated, cum laude, from The University of Alabama’s College of Commerce and Business Administration in 1998 with an Honor’s Degree in Accounting and a minor in Computer-Based Honors. While at the University, Josh served as president of Capstone Men & Women and as a member of the SGA Senate, the Jasons, Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board and the Anderson Society. In recognition of his academic and extra-curricular achievements, he was named asThe University’s Outstanding Senior in 1998. Previous to pursuing a career in law, Josh held a position as senior aide and cabinet member to former Governor Don Siegelman and as Legislative Director to former Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley. He is one of the youngest people to ever serve in a Governor’s Cabinet. Josh furthered his education at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery, where he served on the editorial board of the Jones Law Review and received his Juris Doctorate in 2003.
OUTSIDE THE OFFICE
Josh serves as an elected member of the Board of Bar Commissioners (representing the Sixth Judicial Circuit), which is the policy-making and governance arm of the Alabama State Bar. In 2023, in recognition of his outstanding dedication to his profession and community, Josh was named as a Fellow by the Alabama Law Foundation, a honor limited to no more than 1% of Alabama State Bar members. Josh is a Charter Member of the Advocates of Justice Fund Society, which raises money for the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, the charitable arm of the Alabama Association for Justice. He is a past-President of the Board of Directors for the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation. Josh is a member of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a distinction shared by only 1,000 lawyers in the United States.
In 2013, Josh was awarded the Inaugural Gregory S. Cusimano Award by the Alabama Association for Justice’s Emerging Leaders Caucus for his work as Chair of ALAJ’s Emerging Leaders’ Caucus. Josh further contributes to the community through pro bono work offered by the Alabama Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Program.
In 2020, Josh was named a West Alabama Young Leader of the Year by the United Way of West Alabama. Recipients are individuals who have improved the quality of life in West Alabama through volunteerism, community service, corporate stewardship, or government advocacy.
Josh and his wife Jennifer have two daughters, Stella Grace and Caroline.
