Donna J. Beaulieu

Donna is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English/History. She received various honors at U.A.B., including the Alumni Achievement Award, was an Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi inductee for the School of Arts and Humanities, and was recurrently on the President's List.

Donna graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, with a Juris Doctor Degree in May of 1997. She was awarded the honor of Best Brief in the Legal Research & Writing Program and was on the Dean's List.

Throughout her education and civic career, Donna received other acknowledgments and awards: American Legion Award (for Distinguished Achievement - Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship and Service); Presidential Academic Fitness Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement; Silver Knight Award (in Recognition of Leadership, Achievement, Character and Service to School and Community - Art); Certificate of Achievement - High School Honor Graduate; Spanish National Honor Society for non-native speakers; Florida's Pride Award for Excellence in Writing; National Beta Club Society Inductee; Modern Music Masters-choral.

Donna is admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association and the Shelby County Bar Association.

As a practicing attorney in Alabama’s state and federal courts for over 24 years, Donna has handled a wide variety of cases and legal issues, and she has handled jury and non-jury trials as well as complex state and federal litigation. Her many years as an Appellate attorney, which has included extensive brief writing and petitions for extraordinary writs, as well as oral argument, has allowed her to develop a keen sense of how to read and interpret the law to ascertain its plain meaning, discern legislative intent, and to allow her to craft arguments against or in favor of a law’s constitutionality.

Donna has represented plaintiffs and defendants and has represented clients in civil and criminal cases. She has handled bench and jury trials and complex litigation. Her extensive experience includes, but is not limited to, domestic relations/divorce and family law cases, personal injury and property tort cases, estate, adoption, and other probate cases, employment law, consumer/commercial and contract law cases, administrative law cases (including disability and immigration issues and hearings); she has represented individuals and companies in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceeding litigation; asset purchase agreements, she has mediation experience and has dealt with arbitration issues; and she has litigated cases as a staunch defender of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Alabama.

Donna has been married to her husband, Henri, who is a licensed home builder and licensed electrical contractor, for over thirty (30) years, and they have a grown son, Hal, who is a Nurse Anesthetist at Shelby Baptist Medical Center. Hal is married and he and his wife, Natalie, are brand new parents (Donna is a proud new Grandma). Donna and Henri miss their Uncle and Pastor, Sheril Hilyer, of Good News Church.