Cornelia A. Clark
Encyclopedia
Cornelia A. "Connie" Clark (born September 15, 1950) is an American
lawyer
who is the current chief justice
of the Tennessee Supreme Court
.
in 1950, the daughter of William Howard Clark, Sr., and Cornelia Anne Ewin Clark. Her family moved to Atlanta when she was 12 years old. After high school
in Atlanta, she attended Vanderbilt University
in Nashville
, where she received the Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1971, with a major in sociology
. She subsequently earned the Master of Arts in Teaching
at Harvard University
in 1972 and worked as a teacher in Atlanta for several years.
, where she was awarded the Juris Doctorate degree in 1979. After law school, she engaged in the private practice of law with the former firm of Farris, Warfield & Kanaday, where she was the first woman to be a partner, and worked as city attorney in her home town of Franklin. In 1989 Governor Ned McWherter
appointed her circuit judge
for the 21st Judicial District of Tennessee, a position she held from 1989 to 1999. While engaged in the practice of law, she also taught the subject as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt Law School.
In May 1999 the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed Clark to the position of Director of the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. In 2005, while working in this position, she became one of three nominees chosen by the judicial selection commission created under the Tennessee Plan
for potential appointment to a vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court, and was selected for the office by Governor Phil Bredesen
. Her Supreme Court service began in September 2005. In June 2006, the judicial retention commission recommended her for a full eight-year term on the Supreme Court. Her retention in office was approved by Tennessee voters in August 2006.
She began a two-year term as chief justice of the Supreme Court on September 1, 2010.
Bar Association. She is also a member of American Judicature Society. She has also served as a faculty member of the American Academy of Judicial Education. In 2004, she was named as one of 21 members to the American Bar Association
Commission on the American Jury
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who is the current chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Tennessee Supreme Court
Tennessee Supreme Court
The Tennessee Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Tennessee. Cornelia Clark is the current Chief Justice.Unlike other states, in which the state attorney general is directly elected or appointed by the governor or state legislature, the Tennessee Supreme Court appoints the...
.
Early life and career
Clark was born in Franklin, TennesseeFranklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
in 1950, the daughter of William Howard Clark, Sr., and Cornelia Anne Ewin Clark. Her family moved to Atlanta when she was 12 years old. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Atlanta, she attended Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she received the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1971, with a major in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. She subsequently earned the Master of Arts in Teaching
Master of Arts in Teaching
The Master of Arts in Teaching degree is generally a pre-service degree that usually requires a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the Bachelor's degree. While the program often requires education classes in order to meet state licensure requirements, it emphasizes advanced course work in a...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1972 and worked as a teacher in Atlanta for several years.
Legal and judicial career
In 1976 she returned to Nashville to study at the Vanderbilt University Law SchoolVanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law has consistently ranked among the top 20 law schools in the nation, and is currently ranked 16th in the 2012...
, where she was awarded the Juris Doctorate degree in 1979. After law school, she engaged in the private practice of law with the former firm of Farris, Warfield & Kanaday, where she was the first woman to be a partner, and worked as city attorney in her home town of Franklin. In 1989 Governor Ned McWherter
Ned McWherter
Ned Ray McWherter was an American politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995. He was a Democrat.McWherter was born in Palmersville, Weakley County, Tennessee...
appointed her circuit judge
Courts of Tennessee
Courts of Tennessee include:State courts of Tennessee*Tennessee Supreme Court**Tennessee Court of Appeals **Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals ***Tennessee Circuit Courts...
for the 21st Judicial District of Tennessee, a position she held from 1989 to 1999. While engaged in the practice of law, she also taught the subject as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt Law School.
In May 1999 the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed Clark to the position of Director of the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. In 2005, while working in this position, she became one of three nominees chosen by the judicial selection commission created under the Tennessee Plan
Tennessee Plan
The Tennessee Plan is a system of judicial appointment used in Tennessee. The system attempts to limit the influence of partisan politics over the state's judiciary...
for potential appointment to a vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court, and was selected for the office by Governor Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
. Her Supreme Court service began in September 2005. In June 2006, the judicial retention commission recommended her for a full eight-year term on the Supreme Court. Her retention in office was approved by Tennessee voters in August 2006.
She began a two-year term as chief justice of the Supreme Court on September 1, 2010.
Professional affiliations and activities
Clark is a member of the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women and has served as Second Vice President of the Nashville Bar Association. She is named a Fellow of the Nashville, Tennessee, and American Bar Foundations, and member of the Williamson CountyWilliamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
Bar Association. She is also a member of American Judicature Society. She has also served as a faculty member of the American Academy of Judicial Education. In 2004, she was named as one of 21 members to the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
Commission on the American Jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
.