NASHVILLE, TN — Judge Monte D. Watkins spent his formative years in Memphis Tennessee. After finishing high school, he came to Nashville to attend Tennessee State University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology.
His career began in mental health and he eventually transitioned into the financial field after obtaining his securities license. That led him, after some coaxing by his friend, Ted Ensley, into real estate as an agent.
While studying to become a real estate agent, Judge Watkins developed an interest in law and it provided the impetus to pursue a career in law. He subsequently entered North Carolina Central University’s School of Law with aspirations of being a real estate attorney.
After graduation, he began a solo practice while sharing office space with attorneys G. Wayne Davis and Andrei Lee, both of whom were invaluable in their advice to me regarding the practice. To get matters going, he began as a general practitioner but eventually focused on criminal defense, real estate and probate law. He continued practicing for nineteen years and when the opportunity became available, he applied for a Criminal Court judgeship. This involved a lengthy application process, a thorough investigation by the judicial selection committee and eventually a recommendation, along with two other applicants, to the Governor. He, as well as the others, were investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and he was then chosen by Governor Phil Bredesen.
While on the bench, he has been elected three times, presided over more than 35,000 cases, thousands of hearings and hundreds of jury trials. He has been very active in the legal community, having served for twenty-five years as a member, and for twelve years as chairman of the character and fitness committee, District five of the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. He also is serving his third term on his law school board of visitors, has served as Treasurer of the Tennessee Judicial Conference, board member and Treasurer of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association and is the current Chairman of the Judicial Council. Judge Watkins has demonstrated his expertise in law by conducting over fifty Continuing Legal Education seminars to bar associations throughout Tennessee, the United States, parts of Canada, Central America and the Caribbean.
His seminars have been well received by such organizations as the NapierLooby Bar Association, Nashville Bar Association, Tennessee Judicial Conference, National Bar Association and numerous other legal groups. He believes that his greatest strengths are his experience, his respect for others and his fairness to all sides. He has served on the bench for more than eighteen years, giving him a wealth of knowledge about Tennessee Criminal Law. He shows respect for all who appear before him. Finally, he has been and continues to be committed to showing fairness to both the defense and prosecution in all cases.
