Contest for
General Sessions Civil Court Judge Division 2
CountyShelby County
general - Non-partisan - General Sessions Civil Court Judge Div 2
About this office
Term length: 8 years.
This role calls for
General-Sessions civil-court judge: hears civil claims under the statutory cap (currently $25,000), landlord-tenant cases, and small claims — high volume, often pro se litigants.
Judicial temperament: the willingness to listen, deliberate, and apply the law dispassionately to people whose lives are deeply affected by the outcome.
Impartiality and ethics under the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct, including disqualification when conflicts arise.
Working knowledge of the substantive and procedural law applied in the assigned court (cited per court below) and the published precedent that controls.
Docket management — moving cases efficiently while honoring due process and the time pressures that fall on litigants and witnesses.
Clear written and oral explanation of rulings, so the parties and the public can follow the reasoning.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.