Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins will have a ceremonial swearing in with Governor Bill Haslam at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the historic Supreme Court chambers within the Capitol. The event is open to the public.
Chief Justice Bivins was unanimously elected chief by the Court last month. He was appointed to the Court in 2014 by Governor Bill Haslam and was elected to the remainder of the full term in 2016. Prior to assuming that position, he was a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals from August 2011 until July 2014.
Previously, Justice Bivins served as a Circuit Court judge for the 21st Judicial District of Tennessee, covering Williamson, Hickman, Lewis, and Perry Counties. He is a 1986 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law. He received a B.A. Degree, magna cum laude, in 1982 from East Tennessee State University, with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice.
He is a member of the John Marshall American Inn of Court, having served as president from 2003-2008, and the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Williamson County Bar Association. He also is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the Tennessee Bar Foundation, and the Nashville Bar Foundation. He is a former member of the Williamson County Commission. Prior to his appointment to the trial bench, Justice Bivins practiced law with the firm of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC in Nashville. He also served as assistant commissioner and general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Personnel.