The Hon. Sonja F. Bivins, a native of Mobile, AL and Spring Hill College alumna (class of 1985), is the United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Alabama. One of six children, she attended Mobile County Public Schools and graduated from Murphy High School in 1981.
During her high school years, Judge Bivins participated in the Upward Bound Program at Spring Hill College, and later served on the Upward Bound staff as a tutor and counselor. Her dedication and commitment to mentoring young people continues today as she serves as a mentor to Spring Hill students interested in law careers. She is also involved in other activities designed to help equip young people to make good decisions, to excel academically, and to become leaders in their communities.
After earning her B.S. in political science from Spring Hill, Judge Bivins attended the University of Alabama School of Law, where she was awarded her Juris Doctorate in 1988.
She then served as a judicial law clerk for the late Honorable United States District Judge Virgil Pittman in the Southern District of Alabama. Upon completion of her clerkship, she relocated to Atlanta and began the practice of law. Her primary practice focus was the representation of employers in a broad spectrum of employment-related matters. While in private practice, Judge Bivins participated in Leadership DeKalb and served as President of the DeKalb Co. Lawyers Association and as a board member for the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center.
In 2004, Judge Bivins returned to Mobile upon her appointment as a United States Magistrate Judge.
Judge Bivins’ professional interests include the Just the Beginning Foundation, a multiracial, nonprofit organization comprised of lawyers, judges, and other citizens. The foundation is dedicated to developing and nurturing interest in the law among young people from various socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Judge Bivins has taught youth Sunday school and vacation Bible school classes, helped to organize and chaperone college tours, coached and judged student moot court and mock trial competitions, hosted student interns in chambers, participated in countless career fairs at local schools, and served as a respite parent for a family and children services agency.
All of these commitments serve as a way in which she hopes to provide the same support for others that led to her success. “Jesuit education prepares you to not only be successful in your professional pursuits, but also to make positive contributions to our society,” Bivins said.
In her May 2012 commencement address to Spring Hill College graduates, Bivins said, ”Each of us was uniquely created by God, and He has a purpose for our lives. While we might marvel at the talents and gifts of others, at the end of the day, we must use those talents and gifts with which we have been blessed.”
Judge Bivins was elected to the Spring Hill College Board of Trustees in 2007 and continues to serve as a trustee.
