AshLeigh Meyer Dunham, an Alabama court referee and family law attorney, announced Wednesday her candidacy for the Alabama Supreme Court.
“With a career built on protecting children, supporting families, and defending the rights of Alabamians to start families, Dunham is running to bring a grounded, family-centered perspective to the state’s highest court. Dunham and her husband Jonathan are parents to their treasured daughter Aria, who was conceived using in-vitro fertilization, which they were forced to seek outside of Alabama. She will oppose Justice Greg Shaw, who was elected to the Supreme Court by fewer than 13,000 votes,” Dunham’s release shared.
“I’ve spent my entire legal career standing with Alabama families—and now I’m all in,” said Dunham. “Our Supreme Court needs justices who understand the real challenges families face. The court has made some anti-family rulings that are wildly out of touch with the people of Alabama.”
Dunham currently serves as a referee in Jefferson County’s Juvenile Court, where she handles difficult and sensitive cases involving children and families in crisis. She also practices as an attorney at Magic City Fertility Law, helping couples navigate the legal complexities of assisted reproduction. In her 15-year career she has participated in more than 1,000 cases as an attorney, court referee and Special Circuit Court judge.
She says her commitment to this work is deeply personal. After years of struggling with infertility, Dunham and her husband were only able to welcome their daughter through IVF by leaving Alabama to access the care they needed. That experience has fueled her public advocacy for legal protections and reproductive healthcare access for all Alabama families.
“No family should have to leave their home state to pursue the dream of parenthood,” said Dunham. “I know what it means to desperately want a child, to fight for that chance, and to finally hold that miracle in your arms. That empathy drives my career, my faith and my life, and it’s why I’m stepping up now.”
With experience across family and juvenile law, Dunham says she brings a rare combination of legal expertise and life experience.
“She pledges to serve with full commitment, bringing steady leadership, deep integrity, and an unwavering focus on protecting the people and values that define Alabama,” her release shared.
A native of Huntsville, Dunham earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and her law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Homewood. She and her family are members of Trinity United Methodist Church, also in Homewood. She lives in the Birmingham area with her husband, Jonathan, and their daughter, Aria.
Later in the year, Dunham will have a formal campaign kickoff and tour the state.
