TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 24, 2026

Nashville attorney Joseph “Joe” Micajah Boyd Jr. died Feb. 10 at 97. Raised on a farm in Dyer County, Boyd served on active duty in the U.S. Navy before earning his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School in 1956 and returning to Dyersburg to practice law. He served as chair of the Dyer County Election Commission and as the first director of the Dyersburg Housing Authority, where he advocated for equality and civil rights during desegregation. In 1991, he was appointed district attorney general for the 29th Judicial District, a role he held for nearly two years. He moved to Nashville in 1993 to become general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, where he served until his retirement. Boyd was buried in a private ceremony Feb. 13 at the Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. CST Feb. 28, at Belmont United Methodist Church, 2007 Acklen Ave., Nashville 37212. Donations may be made to Operation Stand Down Tennessee or Belmont United Methodist Church.