John Brinkley
The Brinkley name is known for superior legal work and commitment to the people of North Alabama.
John holds the highest rating for professional excellence, legal ability, communication, and ethics by a vote of his peers. This is known as the AV Preeminent ranking.
His strong desire to help others is something he says he learned from his father. “Watching my father practice law inspired me,” said John. “Watching him made me want to help those that need help the most.”
John is a lifelong Alabama resident. He graduated from Huntsville High, attended college at Athens State and the University of Alabama, and graduated from law school in Birmingham.
For 20 years, John has headed his own law firm, focusing on personal injury cases such as car and truck accidents, medical malpractice, and slip-and-fall injuries. He also provides clients with criminal defense and probate representation.
John is active in the local and state bar associations. Locally, John served on the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association’s executive committee for over a decade before being elected president in 2022. Additionally, he served on the Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program (MCVLP) board of directors for many years, including two terms as chairman. In 2012, John was selected as the MCVLP’s “VIP of the Year.”
For the Alabama State Bar, John was elected to the Board of Bar Commissioners from 2012 to 2021 and is a past participant in the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum (Class 9). In 2016, he received the Jeanne Marie Leslie Award for his service with the State Bar’s Lawyer’s Assistance Program. He also received the President’s Award in 2019. In 2021, John was chosen by his fellow bar commissioners to receive the State Bar’s “Commissioners Award.” The State Bar’s Solo and Small Firm Section elected John as Chairman in 2024. Through his work in that role, he helps to provide opportunities for the more generalized practitioners in Alabama.
In 2022, Legal Services of Alabama awarded John with the Pro Bono Fairness Award. Also in 2022, John was selected by the Alabama Law Foundation as a Fellow and joined its Atticus Finch Society (2024). John has even been recognized by a local radio station as the “Best Lawyer in Huntsville” (2020).
John is happily married to Kristen Brinkley and they have ten children.