By Ashley Benkarski
NASHVILLE, TN — When ballots are cast for the primary in May, there’s a chance there will be a woman presiding over Circuit Court Division I for the first time.
Wendy Longmire, a longtime lawyer who honed her craft under the mentorship of the Honorable Walter Kurtz, takes the possibility personally.
She’s not just the only woman seeking the seat, but she said she’s also the most qualified; Longmire has 35 years of experience that includes assisting Judge Kurtz on both sides of the bench and considers that work as preparation for this moment. “I’ve handled every type of case that would be in front of me in that court,” she said.
She’s seen a wide variety of trials since she began her law career clerking for Judge Kurtz, both with and without juries. In that time, she said she’s learned how to be “measured, careful, observant and prepared to apply even justice.”
Further, Longmire said that as a woman in a predominantly male profession it had been challenging to fight back against being overlooked. A self-described lifelong learner, she saw the conception and evolution of the 1986 Batson v. Kentucky case that sought to eliminate discriminatory jury striking.
The Batson challenge is considered a risky move and Longmire certainly raised some eyebrows when she employed it as a litigator later in her career (the burden of proof is high), but, she said, “If you see something, you do something, and you’re in that position as a judge.”
“Batson dovetails on the intersection of experience and fairness … Representing people who are overlooked and being a person who’s been overlooked brings a unique perspective to the bench,” she continued.
“We do need to be a part of the community,” Longmire said. “You can’t seal yourself up in a courtroom and apply the law in a vacuum.”
She noted that a good judge will understand the humanity in cases coming before the bench. “There are long-standing issues in the system … We can make laws but they’re only as good as the people that are enforcing them and shedding light on them.”
Longmire is a certified Supreme Court Rule 31 Civil Mediator and volunteers with the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center to help people resolve claims between themselves.
She’s also a service counselor with the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee where she offers free legal services to the greater church she’s a member of. She is a mentor with the Nashville Bar Association and has served as an officer and on its Board of Directors.
Asked what she wanted voters to know, Longmire said she wanted Nashvillians to know that “they’re getting a person who not only is an experienced lawyer, uniquely to [Circuit Court Division I], but also a mother, a grandmother, a spouse and will bring 35 years of legal experience and compassion to the position as well as some diversity … Perhaps give this fresh face an opportunity to give her gifts to Nashville.”
Longmire has an extensive list of endorsements including the Central Labor Council, Judge Walter Kurtz, retired Nashville judge Claudia Bonnyman, former Mayor Bill Purcell, attorney Abby Rubenfeld, Former Second Circuit Court Judge Marietta Shipley, attorney Gary M. Kellar, and Judge Matt Sweeney.
Find information on her campaign at wendylongmireforjudge.com.