Judge Coogler has served as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama since 2003, including as Chief Judge from 2020-2023. Before his appointment to the federal bench, he was a Circuit Judge in Tuscaloosa. In 2020, he was elected by the judges of the Eleventh Circuit to serve on the Judicial Conference of the United States, which formulates administrative policy for the federal judiciary. Immediately upon his election to the Conference, Judge Coogler was appointed by the Chief Justice to serve on the Executive Committee, which consists of seven members of the Conference. Judge Coogler served in this role for his entire five-year term on the Conference.
Judge Coogler has been a mentor to hundreds of Alabama Law students over the years, including the many students who have served as his judicial clerks and many others who have completed internships or externships in his chambers.
Judge Coogler received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1984.