Tennessee
Tennessee Supreme Court By The Numbers:
Justice
Former prosecutor
Former civil rights lawyer
- 5 total seats
- 0 current vacancies
- 1 prosecutor
- 0 public defenders
- 0 Justices have other indigent defense experience
- 1 civil rights lawyer
How Members of the Tennessee Supreme Court are Selected:
Appointment, Legislative Confirmation, Retention Election
The governor appoints justices from a shortlist submitted by an 11-member, governor-appointed judicial nominating commission; appointees must then be confirmed by the Tennessee State Legislature. Justices represent regional divisions, and confirmed judges must face retention elections every eight years to remain on the court.
Selection method sources:
Ballotpedia, Judicial Election Methods By State; Brennan Center for Justice, Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map; Tennessee Courts, Executive Order No. 87