Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby spoke to University of Tennessee at Martin (UT-Martin) students for Constitution Day on September 17.
Kirby spoke to about 50 students via Zoom, said Student Government Association President Hunter McCloud. McCloud told The Tennessee Star that Kirby spoke about the rule of law.
“She (Kirby) talked about how the rule of law is a foundation for our country, how it’s important that we keep people accountable and remember that no one is above the law, no matter your position in government or your position among your community,” McCloud said.
“She also reiterated the importance of voting and registering, especially with this being a big election year. A lot of times people my age feel like our vote doesn’t matter and our voice isn’t heard. Politicians listen to those who vote. If we choose not to do that then our voices will never be heard.”
UT-Martin SGA Vice President Sidney Church, meanwhile, said that she and other students hosted a voter-registration drive as Kirby spoke.
“We can always find out more about a subject. A lot of our students have to take early political science and history classes,” Church said.
“I believe that they have some background of the [United States] Constitution, but there is always room to learn more.”
According to TNCourts.gov, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam swore Kirby in as a Tennessee Supreme Court justice in 2014.
Kirby is the first graduate of the University of Memphis ever to sit on Tennessee’s highest court.
Kirby served for almost 19 years on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Tennessee’s intermediate appellate court for civil cases. She was the first woman ever to sit on that Court, the website said.
McCloud told The Star in an email that the voter registration drive was successful.
“We had registered over 30 students in less than an hour before the event,” McCloud said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “University of Tennessee at Martin” by University of Tennessee at Martin.
