MEMBER CENTER
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia “Connie” Clark died Sept. 24, 2021, after a short battle with cancer. She was 71. Clark’s public service to the judiciary and her community spanned more than four decades. She was first appointed to the Supreme Court in 2005 by then Gov. Phil Bredesen and was reelected in 2006 and 2014. She served as chief justice from 2010 to 2012. She was the longest serving justice among the current members and heard more than 1,100 cases during her tenure on the court.
Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Clark practiced law in Nashville and Franklin, served as Franklin’s city attorney, served on the 21st Judicial District Circuit Court (the first woman to do so) and was director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. Clark earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. She also earned a master’s degree in teaching from Harvard University and taught history for four years in the Atlanta area. Throughout her career, Clark advocated for the advancement of women in leadership roles and in the judiciary. She served on numerous boards and received many awards and recognitions. In 2018, the Tennessee Bar Association presented Clark with its Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award. In one final honor following her death, Clark lay in state in the Tennessee State Capitol — the first sitting Supreme Court justice to do so. Memorial donations may be made to Franklin First United Methodist Church or the U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation.
The following statements were released following the death of Justice Clark:
Tennessee Bar Association President Sherie Edwards
September 24, 2021
Tennessee lost a great lady today with the passing of Justice Clark. Not only was she an accomplished jurist, but she was devoted to her family and to service to her community. She was a champion of access to justice and a good friend to the ATJ community. Justice Clark began her career as a high school history teacher, and I was privileged to witness her ‘heart of a teacher’ when she interacted with law students and with young attorneys. She was incredibly kind, gracious, and encouraging, and will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.
Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
Judiciary Mourns Loss of Justice Cornelia Clark
September 24, 2021
Justice Clark to Lie in State at Tennessee Capitol; Funeral Arrangements Announced
September 26, 2021
Justice Clark First Active Member of Judiciary to Lie in State
September 28, 2021
Governor Lee Issues Proclamation Honoring Justice Clark
September 29, 2021
The Legacy of Justice Clark; Tribute Video
September 29, 2021
Justice Cornelia A. Clark Remembered at Moving Funeral Service in her Hometown
October 4, 2021
Supreme Court to Leave Nashville Courtroom ‘Draped in Mourning’ for Late Justice Clark
October 5, 2021
Collection of Remembrances
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts is collecting remembrances about Justice Clark from the legal community. Add your own memory.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III
Sept. 24, 2021
I was honored to have known and worked with Justice Clark, an eighth-generation Tennessean whose contributions to the judiciary and the people of Tennessee will be felt for generations to come.
On the bench, Tennesseans could be confident she was fair, impartial, and thoughtful in applying the law; lawyers could expect a formidable judge. We always advised our folks to be overprepared before appearing in Justice Clark’s courtroom. She’ll be ready- you better be, too.
Off the bench, she was involved in nearly every program and project in the court system, including the Access to Justice Initiative where she was committed to ensuring the legal system is open and accessible to all Tennesseans. She mentored countless students and encouraged public service, and she was always happy to administer the oath of office to our new attorneys.
You could be sure she lived by her own words, “It’s always good to remember where you came from,” which she did by serving her hometown, her church, and her state. While she will be deeply missed, she will be remembered and celebrated by not only those who knew her personally, but by all the beneficiaries of her service to Tennessee. Read the statement online.
Lawyers Association for Women
September 24, 2021
As many of you already know, the State of Tennessee lost Justice Clark to cancer early this morning. She was a longtime member of LAW. Justice Clark attended LAW monthly membership meetings regularly, taking the long walk from Capitol Hill down to B.B. Kings on 2nd Avenue in the heat of summer and cold of winter, always arriving with a smile on her face. Many young attorneys cherished their good fortune to sit at a table with her during those meetings, where she made everyone feel at ease and expressed genuine interest in their work and activities. In 2017, Justice Clark was the recipient of the Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey Award. She will be greatly missed by all LAW members whose lives she touched.
Nashville School of Law
September 24, 2021
Nashville School of Law joins the legal community and Tennesseans statewide in mourning the death of Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia “Connie” Clark. Clark had served on the faculty at NSL and was a longtime supporter of the school. President & Dean William C. Koch Jr, noted that, in addition to being colleagues, he and Justice Clark were friends for a long time. They served on the court together from 2006-2014, when Justice Koch became dean of the law school. “I admire her effective work with the bench and the bar, and her unwavering support for Nashville School of Law and its students,” Koch said. Read the school's full statement