Robert Rochelle (born November 25, 1945) is an American lawyer and former Democratic politician. He served as a member of the

Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...

from 1982 to 2002.

Early life

Robert Rochelle was born on November 25, 1945 in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. He graduated from

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as well as a college of Postgr ...

with a bachelor of science degree in 1968, and earned a juris doctor from the

University of Tennessee College of Law The University of Tennessee College of Law is the law school of the University of Tennessee located in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1890, the College of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the Ass ...

in 1969. Following law school, Rochelle served in the Army during the Vietnam War where he was awarded a bronze star and oak leaf cluster for his service.

Career

Political career

Rochelle served as a Democratic member of the

from 1982 to 2002. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore for a majority of his time in the State Senate, as well as in several other leadership capacities.

Legal career

Rochelle co-founded the law firm Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds with Jere McCulloch and Jo Ann Aulds in 1987. By 2016, it was "the largest law firm in

Wilson County Wilson County is the name of four counties in the United States: *Wilson County, Kansas *Wilson County, North Carolina *Wilson County, Tennessee *Wilson County, Texas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 202 ...

with 12 attorneys, more than 20 staff members and offices in Lebanon and Mt. Juliet."

Personal life

With his wife Janice, Rochelle has two children. They reside in Lebanon, Tennessee. He is a Methodist.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rochelle, Robert Living people 1945 births People from Nashville, Tennessee People from Lebanon, Tennessee Middle Tennessee State University alumni University of Tennessee College of Law alumni Democratic Party Tennessee state senators Tennessee lawyers