Gary R. Wade

Gary R. Wade was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2006. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Wade served on the Court of Criminal Appeals for 19 years, and served as presiding judge of that court for eight years.
Before taking the bench, Justice Wade was in private practice for 15 years. He also served as mayor of Sevierville from 1977 to 1987.

Justice Wade received both his law degree and his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee.

Justice Wade was named Tennessee Appellate Judge of the Year in 2004. He served as president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference in 1995-1996 and is the founder of the Tennessee Judicial Conference Bar Foundation.

An active member of the community, Justice Wade is co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and co-founder of Leadership Sevier. He also serves on the board of directors for the East Tennessee Historical Society and Sevier County High School Foundation.

Prior Judicial Experience

Judge, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals (1987-1998)
Presiding Judge, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals (1998-2006)
Justice, Tennessee Supreme Court (2006-Present)

Previous Employment

Ogle & Wade, P.C., Attorneys at Law, l973-l987
Mayor of Sevierville, l977-l987
City Attorney, City of Pigeon Forge, l973-87

Education

The University of Tennessee, B.S., l970
The University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D., l973
Honors

Sevier County Mover and Shaker of the Year by The Mountain Press, l983, l984, l985, and 1997
Gary R. Wade Boulevard, l987
Sevier County High School Wall of Fame, 2004
Citizen of the Year, Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, 2004
Appellate Judge of the Year, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2004
Legion of Honor, Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, 2004
Judicial Excellence Award, Knoxville Bar Association, 2004