Jeffrey S. Bivins (born August 31, 1960) is a justice of the

Tennessee Supreme Court The Tennessee Supreme Court is the ultimate judicial tribunal of the state of Tennessee. Roger A. Page is the Chief Justice. Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state le ...

. He was appointed as a justice of the court by Governor

Bill Haslam William Edward Haslam (; born August 23, 1958) is an American billionaire businessman and politician who served as the 49th governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam previously served as the 67th mayor of ...

Education

Bivins received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree, magna cum laude, in 1982 from

East Tennessee State University East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an institutional Board of Tr ...

, with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice. He graduated with a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

Vanderbilt University Law School Vanderbilt University Law School (also known as Vanderbilt Law School or VLS) is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law School has consiste ...

in 1986.

Career

From 1986 to 1995, Bivins served 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 till his appointment to the bench in 2005.

Judicial service

Bivins served as a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals from August 2011 until July 2014, after being appointed by Gov.

. Previously, Bivins was appointed to Circuit Court, 21st Judicial District in 2005 by Gov.

Phil Bredesen Philip Norman Bredesen Jr. (born November 21, 1943) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 48th governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected in 20 ...

and elected to an 8-year term in 2006. He also previously served in a trial judge position from July 1999 through August 2000. Bivins was sworn in as a member of the

in July 2014. He was elected as chief justice in 2016 and served until 2021.

Community memberships

Bivins serves on the Board of Judicial Conduct. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and is the President-Elect of the Conference. He also has served on the Tennessee Judicial Evaluation Commission. He is a member of the John Marshall American Inns of Court, having served as President from 2003 to 2008, and is a member of the

Tennessee Bar Association The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Tennessee. History On December 14, 1881, 69 Tennessee lawyers signed the Charter of Incorporation establishing the Tennessee Bar Association. References Exte ...

and the Williamson County Bar Association. He also is a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the Nashville Bar Foundation. He is former member of the Williamson County Commission.Jeffrey S. Bivins, Tennessee Supreme Court
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References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bivins, Jeffrey 1960 births Living people 21st-century American judges Chief Justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court East Tennessee State University alumni Justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court People from Kingsport, Tennessee Vanderbilt University Law School alumni