Supreme Court of Tennessee selects new Chief Justice


	SUPREME COURT SELECTS NEW CHIEF JUSTICE

Supreme Court of Tennessee Press Release

Supreme Court Elects Drowota Chief Justice Effective Sept. 1

Justice Frank F. Drowota, III, of Nashville was elected chief justice Tuesday by the Tennessee Supreme Court, effective Sept. 1. He will succeed Chief Justice E. Riley Anderson of Knoxville, who is stepping down from the position, but will remain on the court.

Drowota, elected to the Supreme Court in 1980, is the court’s senior member and served as chief justice in 1989-90. He also is the senior member of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, which includes the state’s 178 trial and appellate judges. His judicial career began in 1970 when he was appointed by Gov. Buford Ellington to the Chancery Court of Davidson County. Four years later, he was appointed by Gov. Winfield Dunn to the state Court of Appeals.

" I am honored to have been chosen chief justice by my colleagues on the court. I have the highest respect for their intellectual integrity, enthusiasm, work ethic and commitment to service," Drowota said. "We have a great Supreme Court, and I look forward to serving as chief justice because the members of the current court work so well together."

The chief justice-elect said he will continue the court’s "commitment to remaining accessible." He cited programs such as the SCALES Project, which makes it possible for high school students across the state to attend Supreme Court sessions in their local communities, and a recent Law School for Journalists, co-sponsored by the Supreme Court and the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. He said the court’s outreach projects "give the citizens of this state a better understanding of the court system and, we hope, a greater confidence in the courts."

"I believe we will continue to be a court with vision, " Drowota said. "I am delighted that Chief Justice Anderson is remaining on the court because he has great vision and energy, is even-handed and has been a tremendous administrator. In carrying out the administrative responsibilities of chief justice, I also look forward to working with the strong leadership and staff of the Administrative Office of the Courts as we attempt to modernize Tennessee’s court system to make it more responsive to the needs of all Tennesseans."

Drowota’s first term as chief justice was a period of transition for the court, including the swearing in of Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey as the first woman Supreme Court justice in Tennessee history. She now serves on the federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"We presently have the most diverse Supreme Court in our state’s history," Drowota said. "Diversity has brought new ideas and a new vision which have strengthened the court, benefitting all Tennesseans."

Drowota said his goal is for courts in the state to "continue to adjudicate in a timely and efficient manner."

"My wish is that justice will be both perceived and achieved in courtrooms throughout Tennessee," he said.

Drowota is married to the former Claire Hooper. They have two children, Helen Drowota Close and Dr. Frank R. Drowota, and three grandchildren. He is active in legal and civic organizations, including having served on the boards of directors for the Cumberland Museum & Science Center, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Children’s House, Opportunity House, the Bill Wilkerson Speech and Hearing Center, Disciples Divinity House and the YMCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. He has served as president of the Nashville Rotary Club and the Nashville area chapter of the American Red Cross. He is a trustee of Montgomery Bell Academy, where he attended school, the Dantzler Bond Ansley Fund and The Frist Foundation.

Drowota earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Vanderbilt University. He later served as a Naval officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-la and was commanding officer for a local reserve unit. He retired after 27 years of active and reserve military service and is a member of the Naval Reserve Association. He is an Elder of Woodmont Christian Church, where his father was the church’s founding minister and served that congregation for 30 years before his retirement.