Judge Carol J. Chumney: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Carol J. Chumney is a judge for Division II of the 30th Judicial District Circuit Court of Tennessee in Shelby County. She was elected to the bench in 2022.

Prior to her election, Chumney managed her own private practice in Memphis since 2002. During that time, she served as the lead attorney for the election security lawsuit, Shelby Advocates for Valid Elections v. Hargett 947 F.3d 977 (6th Cir. 2020). Chumney supplemented her practice as a Shelby County deputy divorce referee and hearing officer, a special judge for the Shelby County General Sessions Civil and Criminal Courts, and a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for cases in the Shelby County Juvenile Court.

She also taught as an adjunct professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Memphis.

Before establishing her law firm, Chumney spent more than thirteen years in the political arena, serving as a Democratic representative of the 89th District in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1991 to 2003), following her election in 1990. During that time, she was chair of the House Children and Family Affairs Standing Committee, House Majority Whip, and chair of the Shelby County delegation. She is also credited with passing the childcare reform law, which appeared in several major publications, including Time magazine and The New York Times. From a local standpoint, Chumney served as a city councilwoman for District 5 with the Memphis City Council (2003 to 2007).

She began her legal career in private practice at Glankler, Brown, Gilliland, Chase, Robinson & Raines in 1987, where she was later named a partner. Chumney remained with the firm until opening her law office in 2002.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from the University of Memphis in 1983. Chumney then completed a J.D. at the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, in 1986. She was a Herff Law Scholar and sat as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. Chumney also completed a judicial clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1986 to 1987).

She is a past president of the Memphis Federal Bar Association and has held memberships with the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Judicial Conference, the Tennessee Trial Judges Association, the Memphis Bar Association, the Association of Women Attorneys, and the American Bar Association. Chumney has also served as a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court Foster Care Commission and the Tennessee Supreme Court Gender Fairness Commission.

Among her civic contributions, she was involved with the Memphis Zoo Board of Directors.

Chumney is an award-winning autobiographer of “The Arena: One Woman’s Story,” which expounds on her experiences as a woman in state and local politics.

She attended White Station High School.