Governor Bill Lee announced the appointment of Judge Mary L. Wagner to the Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday.
Wagner (pictured above) is currently a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County.
“Mary is a highly qualified judge who will bring significant experience to the Tennessee Supreme Court,” Lee said in a statement. “Her understanding and respect for the rule of law and commitment to the conservative principles of judicial restraint make her well-suited for the state’s highest court, and I am proud to appoint her to this position.”
Her understanding & respect for the rule of law & commitment to the conservative principles of
judicial restraint make her well-suited for the state’s highest court, & I’m proud to appoint her to this position.— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) February 1, 2024
Then-Governor Bill Haslam first appointed Wagner to the circuit court in 2016. She was re-elected to the position two years later in 2018 and again in 2022.
The Tennessee Supreme Court also appointed Wagner to be a special judge for the Tennessee Workers Compensation Appeals Panel.
Wagner has previously served as an associate at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, PLLC and taught as an adjunct professor at The University of Memphis School of Law. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and J.D. at the University of Memphis School of Law.
Lee’s appointment of Wagner comes three weeks after his Council for Judicial Appointments forwarded the names of three applicants – J. Ross Dyer, Van Douglas McMahan, and Wagner – for his consideration to appoint to the state’s highest court.
Each applicant was vetted through a public hearing and interview process.
Wagner’s appointment will fill the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Justice Roger A. Page, effective August 31.
Page was first appointed to the state Supreme Court by Haslam in 2016. He served as chief justice from 2021 up until 2023, as Justice Holly Kirby was elected to serve as the state Supreme Court’s next chief justice.
Wagner will now move through the confirmation process before the General Assembly.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Background Photo “Tennessee State Supreme Court” by Antony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.
