The Hon. W. Neil Thomas, III (Ret.) served as a judge for the 11th Judicial District Circuit Court of Tennessee. He was appointed to the bench in 1997. He retired on October 5, 2017, and returned to private practice alongside his son.
The 11th Judicial District encompasses Hamilton County.
Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School in 1969. He is licensed to practice in Tennessee (1970), New York (1970), and the United States Supreme Court (1975).
After graduating from law school, Thomas entered into private practice in New York City. He subsequently relocated his practice to Chattanooga, where he remained until his appointment to the bench.
His memberships have included the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Chattanooga Bar Foundation. He has also been involved with the Tennessee Safety Council, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Rotary Club, the Friends of Chickamauga and Moccasin Bend National Parks, and the Brock-Cooper American Inn of Court.
Thomas is a married father with four children and six grandchildren.
He is registered as a Republican.