Nashville, Tenn- Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary L. Wagner received a warm welcome to the bench as family, friends, colleagues, elected officials, and the judiciary joined her in Germantown for a ceremonial investiture by Governor Bill Lee.
“Justice Wagner is highly qualified and brings significant experience to the Tennessee Supreme Court,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Her understanding and respect for the rule of law and commitment to the conservative principles of judicial restraint make her well-suited for the state’s highest court, and I am proud to celebrate her investiture.”
Justice Wagner was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice by the Tennessee legislature in March and her term began September 1, 2024. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Roger A. Page.
“After Governor Lee appointed Judge Wagner to be Justice Wagner, I attended events in Memphis honoring her,” said Chief Justice Holly Kirby. “Lawyers of all stripes were thrilled for Judge Wagner but sad to be losing her from the trial bench. The consistent comment that I heard, over and over, was that Judge Wagner was never perceived as a plaintiff’s judge or a defendant’s judge. The lawyers told me that she approached each case impartially, looked objectively at the facts, did her best to discern the law, and then applied it to reach the result the law required. As a judge, there can be no higher praise than that. Mary Wagner is tested and ready. She will be an excellent Justice on our State’s highest court.”
Previously, Justice Wagner served as a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County. She also served as an associate at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, PLLC and taught as an adjunct professor at The University of Memphis School of Law.
“I had the good fortune to work with Justice Wagner at the very beginning of her legal career when she clerked in my chambers following her graduation from law school,” said Court of Appeals Judge Steven Stafford. “Fifteen years later, her career has led her to a very deserved appointment to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Whereas any great lawyer should view an appointment to her state’s highest court as the culmination of an exceptional legal career, I have no doubt that we have yet to see where Justice Wagner’s intelligence, work ethic, and wisdom will take her to over the rest of her career. I am very confident she will be a valued member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and I look forward to seeing her impact on Tennessee law.”
Justice Wagner earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and J.D. at the University of Memphis School of Law.
