Joseph Robert Goodwin

Joseph Robert Goodwin (born 1942) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Early life and education
Born in Ripley, West Virginia, Goodwin received a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University in 1965 and was in the United States Army Adjutant General Corps during the Vietnam War, from 1965 to 1967. He received a Juris Doctor from West Virginia University College of Law in 1970.

Career
Goodwin was a city attorney for Ripley from 1971 to 1972, and was than a municipal judge for the city until 1973. He then entered private practice in Charleston, West Virginia, until 1995.

Judicial service
On February 28, 1995, Goodwin was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia vacated by the retirement of Robert Jackson Staker. Goodwin was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 8, 1995, and received his commission on May 10, 1995. He served as chief judge of the district from 2007 to 2012.

Personal
Goodwin's son, R. Booth Goodwin, was appointed in 2010 by President Barack Obama to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. Goodwin's nephew is former West Virginia Senator Carte Goodwin.