TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Aug 12, 2025

Retired Nashville General Sessions Judge William Higgins died Aug. 11 at the age of 86, The Tennessean reports. A graduate of Cohn High School and Vanderbilt University, Higgins went on to earn his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. After graduating, he served two years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, served on the Metro Nashville Council for three terms and practiced law for 13 years before running for the Davidson County General Sessions Court in 1980. He won that race and subsequently was elected to five terms. He was named presiding judge of the court in 2013. He retired in September 2022 to return to practicing law. At that time, the Tennessee legislature recognized his more than 40 years of service on the bench and lauded him as "one of the finest judges this State has ever produced.” Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet.