TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 8, 2021

Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the U.S. 6th Court of Appeals has received the 39th annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, the highest honor given to a federal judge. The award was announced yesterday by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Gibbons, who was the first female trial judge in Tennessee, was recognized for her 30-year judicial career and role as a “trailblazer and role model in the legal profession.” Gibbons was first appointed to the Shelby County Circuit Court in 1981. In 1983, she became the youngest district court judge in the country when she was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. She was nominated for the appeals court in 2001. A dinner and ceremony to honor Gibbons will be held early next year. Read more about her career and reflections from colleagues in a profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts.