TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Sep 8, 2023

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight E. Tarwater received a warm welcome to the bench this week when family, friends, colleagues, elected officials and the judiciary joined him in Knoxville for his ceremonial investiture by Gov. Bill Lee. Tarwater was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice by the Tennessee legislature in March and his term began on Sept. 1. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sharon G. Lee. Tarwater joins Chief Justice Holly Kirby (Memphis), Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins (Franklin), Justice Roger A. Page (Mifflin) and Justice Sarah K. Campbell (Nashville) on the state’s highest court. “Dwight Tarwater has the integrity, the intellect, the work ethic, the compassion and the old-fashioned common sense needed to be an excellent justice on our state's high court. He also has perhaps the most important quality — humility,” Kirby said. “On most of the questions that we hear, the ruling of the Tennessee Supreme Court is the final word. There is no appeal, no higher authority. That's why humility is so important.”