News
August 30, 2016
Chief Justice Sharon Lee recently presented the Tennessee Supreme Court’s initiatives to Chief Justices from supreme courts across the country at the National Conference of Chief Justices during their annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The gathering in late July was a joint conference with…
August 29, 2016
From The TennesseanAn 8-foot-tall bronze statue of former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. was unveiled Saturday in a ceremony honoring the judicial pioneer's legacy.The unveiling also marked the 10-year anniversary of Nashville's downtown criminal courthouse,…
August 25, 2016
The 10-year anniversary committee of the Justice A.A. Birch Building will dedicate a statue of Chief Justice A. A. Birch, Jr. a state Supreme Court judge, who served 37 years as a judicial stalwart, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 408 2nd Ave N, Nashville, 37201.
A celebration, held in…
August 5, 2016
The Eastern Grand Division of the Tennessee Appellate Courts will hold a blood drive on Wednesday, August 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the courthouse at 505 Main Street in downtown Knoxville.Anyone is welcome to take part in the blood drive. All donors will receive a free t-shirt, and coupon for a…
July 26, 2016
A statue of Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr., will be dedicated August 27 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Justice A.A. Birch Building in downtown Nashville.
Justice Adolpho Birch was the first African-American to serve as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court and spent 37 years…
July 25, 2016
Tennessee ranks ninth in United States for providing access to its courts, according to the 2016 Justice Index, a nationwide study that ranks states according to their adoption of selected best practices for ensuring access to justice. Furthermore, Tennessee takes the No. 1 ranking in the Southeast…
July 25, 2016
TennesseeCourt of Appeals Judge John McClarty’s law clerk Stephanie Slater has published an article about Justice Edward T. Sanford’s tenure on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Justice Sanford is the only known Knoxvillian and University of Tennessee graduate to sit on the U.S. Supreme…
July 20, 2016
The statewideIndigent Representation Task Force will hear from the public at meetings to be held next week in Nashville and next month in Franklin.The task force has traveled throughout the state on a listening tour to hear from the legal community as well as the general public regarding indigent…
June 9, 2016
UPDATE: See photos from the day here.Declaring summer is officially here, Chief Justice Sharon Lee and Tennessee Bar Association President William L. Harbison, have issued a joint proclamation announcing Seersucker Day for the legal community on Thursday, June 16.That date marks the annual Bench…
May 12, 2016
The Supreme Court’s Indigent Representation Task Force will make stops in Johnson City and Knoxville as it continues its listening tour across the state to hear from anyone interested in sharing thoughts about representation for those who are accused of a crime and unable to afford an attorney.The…
May 11, 2016
Court of Appeals Judge Neal McBrayer was one of several speakers who visited Capshaw Elementary School in Cookeville to discuss personal experiences with severe food allergies.Gov. Bill Haslam declared May 8-14 Food Allergy Awareness Week. The community started a 1EVERY3 awareness campaign because…
May 10, 2016
A marker was recently placed just inside the doors of the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Nashville, officially noting the building’s place on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2012. The Nashville architectural firm of Marr and Holman…
May 2, 2016
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Lee said Monday she could sum up the state of the judiciary in one word: Great.
Of course, she went on to use a few more words to give details to several hundred Rotary Club members who attended Monday’s weekly meeting at the Wildhorse Saloon in…
April 27, 2016
The location for the first stop of the Indigent Representation Task Force statewide listening tour has been moved to the Vasco Smith Building in Memphis. It previously was scheduled to be in the Criminal Justice Center.The details for Thursday’s listening tour stop:Thursday, April 28, 2016 3:00 p.m…
April 21, 2016
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has restructured how it assigns cases to panels, providing more rotation of judges on cases from different parts of the state.All cases before the Court of Appeals are considered by panels of three judges. Under the new approach, cases that are submitted on briefs…
April 20, 2016
The Indigent Representation Task Force has announced a series of statewide listening tours to hear from those interested in sharing their thoughts on indigent defense in Tennessee. The first two stops will be next week in West Tennessee.The Task Force will convene in Memphis on April 28 and again…
April 12, 2016
Sen. Steven Dickerson (R-Nashville) and Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr. (D-Nashville), along with leaders in the judicial and legal communities announced an initiative today to improve awareness of and access to expungements in Tennessee.A key component of the initiative is information that has been…
April 12, 2016
From the Paris Post-IntelligencerThe Palmersville Historical Society will present an evening of reminiscence and celebration, commemorating the 50-year legal career of judge and Palmersville native Ben H. Cantrell at 7 p.m. April 29 at the Old Baptist Church/Masonic Lodge just off Highway 190 in…
February 9, 2016
The Tennessee Judiciary has released its 2015 Annual Report.Below is Chief Justice Sharon Lee's introductory letter to the report, which is available in full here.As Judges, we see people at difficult times in their lives. They are involved in a disagreement with a neighbor or a business partner.…
January 4, 2016
Court of Appeals Judge D. Michael Swiney, of Knoxville, has been selected by judges of the 12-member court to be chief judge for a term of one year.Judge Swiney has been a member of the Court of Appeals since 1999, when he was appointed by then-Governor Don Sundquist. He was elected to the bench in…