Linnen, Jerome T.

S. A. "BUD" WATSON, JR. (a retired judge of the circuit court) was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on July 11, 1942. Mr. Watson attended undergraduate school at Harding University  and Louisiana State University, Monroe. In 1966, Mr. Watson received his juris doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law. Mr. Watson is a graduate of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Hanley Master Trial Lawyer Training Program. He was admitted to the Bar of the State of Alabama in 1967 and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.

S.A. Watson, Jr.'s legal career began as a law clerk for the 23rd Judicial Circuit of Alabama from 1966 to 1967. Following his clerkship, Mr. Watson served as an associate with Humphrey, Lutz & Smith in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1967 to 1968. Mr. Watson then served as an Assistant District Attorney for Madison County, Alabama, from 1968 to 1972. In 1969, Mr. Watson became Chief Assistant District Attorney for Madison County, Alabama. From 1972 to 1974, Judge Watson served in the District Court for Madison County, Alabama. In 1974, he was elevated to the Circuit Court, 23rd Judicial Circuit, Alabama, where he remained until retirement in 1987.

Mr. Watson currently practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, nursing home neglect and abuse, and corporation litigation. He has participated in over 600 jury trials and was awarded one of the largest jury verdicts in Madison County history. Mr. Watson is a member of the Alabama State Bar, the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association, the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, American Judges Association, Federal Bar Association and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He served as Chairman of the Judicial Orientation Commission, Circuit Judges Association from 1981 to 1985. He also served as Chairman of the Madison County Judicial Commission from 1979 to 1985. Judge Watson has been assigned to sit as a special Justice on the Alabama Supreme Court and as a special judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Mr. Watson was a faculty advisor at the National Judicial College. He has been on the faculty at Louisiana State University School of Law, Trial Advocacy Training Program since 1997.