 Hunt received his Bachelor of Arts from Samford University in 1982, where he was the valedictorian.He earned a Master of Arts from Florida State University in 1984, and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1989, where he was recognized as Best Oralist in the national phase of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.After graduating from law school, Hunt clerked for Judge James Hughes Hancock of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.