TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 1, 2025

Judge Janice Holder, Tennessee’s first female chief justice, is being honored for a trailblazing career that began almost by accident, according to the University of Memphis blog. “I wasn’t drawn to the field of law. I applied to one law school, and I got accepted, so I decided I would just try it for a year,” Holder said. After earning her law degree from Duquesne University and clerking for Chief Judge Herbert P. Sorg of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Holder practiced law in Pennsylvania and Memphis before being elected Circuit Court judge in District 30 in 1990. She was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1996 and became chief justice in 2008, the first woman to hold the role. Her legacy includes spearheading the creation of the Access to Justice Commission and the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program. Holder also maintains close ties to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where she mentors students and promotes public service.