Joyce Vance

Joyce White Vance is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law. She held the prestigious position of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama from 2009 to 2017. Her nomination by President Barack Obama in May 2009 was followed by a unanimous confirmation by the Senate in August 2009. In this role, Vance was responsible for overseeing all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions in the northern Alabama region. Her oversight included matters related to civil rights, national security, cybercrime, public corruption, healthcare and corporate fraud, violent crime, and drug trafficking. Additionally, she managed affirmative and defensive civil litigation on behalf of the government and handled all federal criminal and civil appeals. During her tenure, she also contributed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, co-chairing its Criminal Practice Subcommittee.

Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Vance gained extensive experience as an Assistant United States Attorney in Birmingham for 18 years. She dedicated a decade to serving as a criminal prosecutor before transitioning to the Appellate Division in 2002. By 2005, she had advanced to become the Chief of the Appellate Division. Her early career included six years as a litigator in private practice, first with Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn in Washington D.C., and subsequently with Bradley, Arant, Rose & White (now Bradley, Arant, Boult & Cummings) in Birmingham. Vance earned her B.A. from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, graduating magna cum laude, and subsequently obtained her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

More recently, Professor Vance has been recognized for her continued contributions to public service and legal commentary. She received the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health’s Lou Wooster Public Health Hero Award for her leadership in a community-engaged initiative. This project brought together law enforcement, medical and business communities, and educators to address the heroin and opioid epidemic in northern Alabama. She is also a frequent legal commentator appearing on MSNBC and various other news outlets, sharing her expertise and analysis on current legal issues.