Sharon Lee’s story began in Madisonville, where her mother worked as a clerk for 38 years. Lee grew up running around the hallways of the courthouse, where she saw lawyers in action and first gained an interest in the law. In 1978, she graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and began practicing in her hometown. After a quarter-century of service, she became Judge of the City of Madisonville, moving to the Tennessee Court of Appeals in 2004. In 2008, she achieved the status of Tennessee Supreme Court Judge before realizing the top honor of Chief Justice on September 1, 2014.
But Chief Justice Lee’s life has not been only about law. In fact, she has dedicated an enormous amount of time to serving her community. She’s been involved with a broad range of organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Monroe County, YWCA Knoxville, East Tennessee Historical Society and others.
As a result of her service to the community, she’s been the recipient of many awards. These include the William E. Barber Equal Access to Justice Award, the Lizzie Crozier French Women’s Leadership Award (East Tennessee Women’s Leadership Council), Women of Achievement Award (Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachia), Spirit of Justice Award (East Tennessee Lawyer’s Association for Women) and the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Promise Award. She has also been recognized as a YWCA Knoxville Tribute to Women honoree and named as one of the YWCA Very Remarkable Woman for more than three decades running.
Clearly, Chief Justice Lee is dedicated both to her profession and to her community. But of all her accomplishments, Lee has two she considers to be her proudest – her daughters, Sarah and Laura. At her induction ceremony, she made sure to introduce and thank them for their unwavering support and said she couldn’t ask for better daughters. She also thanked her mother, Judy Lee, and her late father, Charles, among other family members and those who have worked with and for her.
At the ceremony, which took place in downtown Knoxville, Mayor Madeline Rogero provided an introduction, with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam performing the oath of office and providing some amusing stories about Lee, as well. He should know quite a few – Governor Haslam and Chief Justice Lee have been friends over 40 years! According to Haslam, Chief Justice Lee “truly is a person of wisdom, but more impressive than that, she’s a person, to me, of compassion and humility, and she works hard to get it right. Because of that, she will serve this court very, very well.” He also made sure to point out that there are only two people who outrank the Supreme Court Justice – the governor…and her mother.
Lee realizes that Chief Justice is not just a title but also “an incredible opportunity to lead and serve the judiciary and all of Tennessee.” When she was growing up in Monroe County, she never imagined one day serving as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court…and she jokingly added there were probably many lawyers in the county who felt the same way. But through her own hard work and the support of her family, she was able to attain this highly important position of responsibility.
With this powerful title will come a push for change. Lee has much she hopes to accomplish to ensure her department operates efficiently and effectively. She intends to implement more advanced technology, including electronic filing systems so the court systems can be available 24/7. She also intends to continue supporting the Access to Justice program, which focuses on ways we can better serve those are unable to afford a lawyer.
Chief Justice Lee believes it is essential that each day we be good and decent citizens, and she intends to make the best of her new role. Given Lee’s track record through her decades of service, she is sure to continue to be a blessing both to the court and to her community. She truly is a steward of the State of Tennessee and a testament to her hometown of Madisonville.
