R. David Proctor was nominated by President George W. Bush to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on May 1, 2003. He was confirmed by the U. S. Senate on September 17, 2003, and received his commission on September 22, 2003. He received his undergraduate degree from Carson-Newman College in 1983. While in college he played varsity football and served as the SGA Public Defender. By far his greatest accomplishment of his undergraduate years, however, was meeting his wife, Teresa.
He earned his law degree, with honors from the University Of Tennessee College Of Law in 1986. While in law school he served on the Editorial Board of the Tennessee Law Review. He also was a member of the Robert Wagner Labor Law Moot Court Team. He received best paper in certain classes, including Professional Responsibility. After graduating from law school, Judge Proctor served as a law clerk to United States Circuit Judge H. Emory Widener, Jr., of the Fourth Circuit. In 1987, he moved to Birmingham to take a position as an associate with Sirote & Permutt P.C.
In 1993, along with two other attorneys, he founded the labor and employment boutique firm of Lehr, Middlebrooks & Proctor P.C. While in private practice his clients included Xerox Corporation, O'Neal Steel, The Children's Hospital of Alabama, Helen Keller Hospital, Norwood Clinic, North American Bus Industries, Inc., and Southeast Alabama Medical Center.
Judge Proctor has been active in the community. He is an Elder at Briarwood Presbyterian Church where he teaches Sunday School, and serves as the Chairman of the School Board at Briarwood Christian School. He has also enjoyed coaching youth football, baseball, and basketball over the past twelve years.