Governor Phil Bredesen on Monday appointed Sharon Gail Lee of Madisonville to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Judge Lee, who has served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals since 2004, fills a vacancy created by the recent retirement of Justice William M. "Mickey" Barker.

Chattanooga attorney John McClarty had been a finalist.

"Sharon has served with distinction on the Court of Appeals and I am confident she will bring the same level of honor and integrity to the Tennessee Supreme Court," said Bredesen. "I am very pleased she has agreed to accept this appointment."

Before her appointment to the bench, Judge Lee developed a wide variety of experience in both civil and criminal litigation, it was stated. She began the practice of law in 1978 with J.D. Lee and Associates in Madisonville. She subsequently worked in various partnerships and as a solo practitioner before her appointment by Bredesen to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section, in June 2004.

"I want to thank Gov. Bredesen for this honor," said Judge Lee. "My 26 years of experience as an attorney encompassed virtually all of the types of cases that the Tennessee Supreme Court is called upon to consider, so I understand very well the impact the Court has on the lives of those who come before it. I will approach this new role with the recognition of how important it is that decisions be well-reasoned, grounded in the law, legally correct and issued in a timely manner."

Judge Lee, 54, holds a bachelor's degree in business administration with high honors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she graduated in the top 15 percent of her class. She is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and has been a member of the House of Delegates of the Tennessee Bar Association since 2003. She is president of the East Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women and a previous member of the board of the Tennessee Lawyer's Association for Women. She previously served as secretary and member of the executive board of the Knoxville Executive Women's Association and is a member of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Monroe County.

With the appointment, not only does the Supreme Court now have its first female chief justice, Janice M. Holder, but it is for the first time a majority female court. Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey became the first woman appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1990. Penny White was the second and, in addition to the chief justice, Justice Cornelia A. Clark
is a member of the court currently.