He was in the United States Army Reserve in the summer of 1957 until 1970, where he served in the 87th Maneuver Area Command and rose to the rank of major.
[1] While on the bench, Pointer ruled that Jefferson County Schools should bus students to achieve racial integration in the 1970s, for which he received numerous death threats.
[citation needed] From 1980 to 1987 he served on the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals and from 1991 to 1993 was Chair of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.
[citation needed] After retiring, Pointer joined the Birmingham firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White as a partner.
[citation needed] He led the 2007 investigation into alleged academic improprieties surrounding the Hoover High School football team, concluding that athletes were given special treatment.