Born and raised in Opelika, Alabama, Jake earned his law degree at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and his bachelor’s degree (Political Science) at the University of the South.
He practiced law in Opelika for more than 11 years, at Walker Hill Adams Umbach Meadows and Walton, until 1997, when Governor Fob James appointed him as a judge on the 37th Judicial Circuit. He successfully stood for election in 1998 and was re-elected to three additional terms before his retirement in October 2022.
Jake served as Presiding Judge of the 37th Judicial Circuit for approximately 15 years and as president of the Alabama Circuit Judges Association in 2017-2018.
Jake continues to live in Opelika. He and his wife have two adult children.