The Tennessee Supreme Court announced last week that Justice Jeff Bivins will be the court’s next chief justice.
This will be the second time Bivins has held this position, as he previously was chief justice from 2016 to 2021. Bivins will replace Justice Holly Kirby. She had been the chief justice since 2023.
He will serve a three-year term. His term began on September 1st.
Reacting to the news, Bivins (pictured above) said he was honored to be chosen by his colleagues.
“I have the highest respect for Justice Kirby, my predecessor as Chief Justice, Justice Campbell, Justice Tarwater, and Justice Wagner. Tennessee has the finest judiciary in the country. Our judges are dedicated public servants who serve with integrity,” he stated.
Bivins said he was “grateful” for the chance to work with all the justices to “strengthen public confidence in our courts, access to justice, and the rule of law in Tennessee.”
When picking a new chief justice, the state Constitution says members of the Tennessee Supreme Court will choose amongst each other for the position.
Bivins will be responsible for the court’s administrative functions, such as setting dockets, making designations, and ensuring justice is administered efficiently and orderly throughout the state courts.
Former Gov. Bill Haslam appointed the new chief justice to the state Supreme Court in 2014.
Before joining the state Supreme Court, Bivins served on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals from August 2011 until July 2014. Furthermore, he served as a circuit court judge for the 21st Judicial District of Tennessee.
In 2020, Bivins received the Tennessee Bar Association’s Justice Frank F. Drowota III Award, which is given to a judge or judicial official who shows “extraordinary devotion and dedication to the improvement of the law, our legal system and the administration of justice.”
Bivins graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1986.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Background Photo “Tennessee Supreme Court” by Antony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.
