Judge Bobby Hale is a native of Madison. He has a 1970 bachelor’s degree in mathematics from West Virginia University Institute of Technology and a 1985 law degree, summa cum laude, from Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta.

He was elected to the bench in the Tenth Family Court Circuit (Boone and Lincoln Counties) in 2016 and re-elected in 2024.

Before he was elected, he was concurrently a math teacher at Boone County Career and Technical Center (two years), a Boone County fiduciary commissioner (two years), and an attorney with Cook and Cook Attorneys in Madison (26 years). He previously worked for the Boone County Board of Education as a teacher of math, chemistry, physics, and building construction. He has also been an adjunct professor at Southern West Virginia Community College where he was an instructor of business math, business law, and real estate.

He was a member of the Boone County Board of Education from July 1, 1986, to Sept. 6, 2011, and he was president of the board for 14 years. He is the author of the book “Hale on Wills.”

Judge Hale enjoys carpentry and woodworking. He is a licensed residential building contractor, licensed electrician, and licensed plumber. 

He lives in Madison and has two sons, Eric and Todd, and two grandchildren.