Holly Kirby
Tennessee Supreme Court
Year Elected/Appointed
1995
Prior Judicial Experience
Judicial law clerk to Honorable Harry W. Wellford, Sixth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, 1982-83.
Appointed in 1995 as the first woman to serve on the Court of Appeals. Won statewide retention elections in 1996, 1998, and 2006
Appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court effective September 1, 2014.
Previous Employment
Upon completing her judicial clerkship in 1983, Judge Kirby joined the Memphis law firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson, where she specialized in employment litigation. In 1990, she was elected a partner, the firm's first female partner. She remained at Burch, Porter & Johnson until her appointment to the bench.
Education
University of Memphis School of Law, 1982; Graduated third in class, Herff Scholar, Law Review Notes Editor
B.S. in Engineering, University of Memphis, 1979; Graduated first in College of Engineering class, Herff Scholar, Honors Alumni Scholar, Speaker of the student senate
Honors
Outstanding Young Alumna, The University of Memphis
Outstanding Alumna, The University of Memphis College of Engineering
Fellow, Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association
Membership(s)
Board of Judicial Conduct, 2012-present
Court of the Judiciary, member of independent ethics panel, 1998-2012
Council of State Governments, Interbranch Committee
Tennessee Judicial Conference, Executive Committee
Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission, 1989-94, chair, 1994
Leo Bearman Sr. American Inn of Court, 1995-98
Tennessee Bar Association
Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women
Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association
Shelby County Association for Women Attorneys
- Justice
- Tennessee Supreme Court
- - Current
- Judge
- Court of appeals
- -
- Attorney
- Burch, Porter & Johnson
- -
- Law Clerk
- Honorable Harry W. Wellford, Sixth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals
- -
- University of Memphis
- J.D. (1982)
- Honors: Graduated third in class, Herff Scholar
- Activities: Law Review Notes Editor
-
- University of Memphis
- B.S. (1979)
- Honors: Graduated first in College of Engineering class, Herff Scholar, Honors Alumni Scholar
- Activities: Speaker of the student senate
-
- Outstanding Young Alumna
- The University of Memphis
- Outstanding Alumna
- The University of Memphis College of Engineering
- Fellow
- Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association
- Council of State Governments
- Interbranch Committee
- Current
-
- Tennessee Judicial Conference
- Executive Committee
- Current
-
- Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women, Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association, Shelby County Association for Women Attorneys
- Member
- Current
-
- Board of Judicial Conduct
- Member
- - Current
-
- Court of the Judiciary
- member of independent ethics panel
- -
-
- Leo Bearman Sr. American Inn of Court
- Member
- -
-
- Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission
- Member
- -
- Activities: Chair 1994
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