The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court following the retirement of Justice Holly Kirby on June 30, 2026.
Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 35 years of age, have been residents of the state for five years, and must reside in the Eastern or Western Grand Division of Tennessee. Applicants must complete the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments’ application, which is available at www.TNCourts.gov, and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by 12:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Applicants must submit by the deadline: (1) the original signed and unbound application (updated version posted on November 28, 2022) with writing samples; and (2) a digital copy of the application (updated version posted on November 28, 2022) with writing samples in order to have his/her name placed on the list of candidates for consideration for the judicial vacancy. Complete application instructions can be found at: www.tncourts.gov/administration/judicial-resources. The Council encourages all candidates to submit applications as soon as possible.
The Council will meet on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. CST in the courtroom of the Nashville Supreme Court Building located at 401 7th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee 37219.
Please submit application questions to AOC Assistant General Counsel Laura Blount at 615-741-2687 or laura.blount@tncourts.gov.