Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffery Bivins has been elected by his fellow Justices to serve as the court’s new Chief Justice, a role that he previously held from 2016 to 2021.
Bivins was unanimously elected by the Court for a three-year term. Bivins was appointed to the state Supreme Court by former Gov. Bill Haslam in 2014. Two years later, he was appointed to his first chief justice term.
Bivins succeeds Justice Holly Kirby, who has served as chief justice since 2023.
Bivins served on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals from August 2011 until July 2014. He also served as a 21st Judicial District Circuit Court judge in Williamson County.
Bivins is a 1986 graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Law. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1982 from East Tennessee State University, majoring in political science and minoring in criminal justice.
From 1986 to 1995, Bivins was in private practice at the law firm of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry. He later served as Assistant Commissioner and General Counsel at the Tennessee Department of Personnel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001. He returned to private practice in 2001 and served in that capacity until his first appointment to the bench.
“I am honored to have been chosen chief justice by my colleagues on the Court,” Bivins said in a news release.
“I have the highest respect for Justice Kirby, my predecessor as chief justice, Justice Campbell, Justice Tarwater, and Justice Wagner. Tennessee has the finest judiciary in the country. Our judges are dedicated public servants who serve with integrity. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with all of them to strengthen public confidence in our courts, access to justice, and the rule of law in Tennessee.”
