Accomplished jurist appointed to Board of Judicial Conduct

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey today announced the appointment of Judge Holly Kirby of Memphis to a position on the newly created Board of Judicial Conduct. Kirby’s term begins July 1.

“Tennessee deserves a quality judiciary with judges who adhere to the law on the bench and in their private lives,” said Lt. Governor Ramsey. “With this new board, Tennessee will finally have a true check against judicial misconduct. Holly Kirby is widely respected for both the quality of her legal mind as well as her superior integrity.”

Kirby graduated with honors from the University of Memphis in 1979 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. In 1982, she graduated third in her class from the University of Memphis School of Law where she was a Herff honors scholar and notes editor of the Law Review.

After serving as a clerk to Judge Harry W. Wellford on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, she joined the Memphis law firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson, becoming the firm’s first female partner in 1990.

In 1995, Kirby became the first woman appointed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Judge Kirby has since been retained on the Court of Appeals in three statewide elections.

The Board of Judicial Conduct was created to replace the Court of the Judiciary which was dissolved by the General Assembly earlier this year. The board will police the professional and ethical lapses of the judiciary by making it more difficult to dismiss complaints against them.

The new Board is also required to submit annual reports to the General Assembly on its findings, restoring the legislative oversight of the judiciary required by our state constitution.

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