Wayne County General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge James Y. Ross was honored with the Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence at the 2024 Annual Tennessee Municipal Court Judges Conference.
“Thank you, everybody,” said Judge Ross. “I will say it’s always best to have the adulation and praise of your colleagues, and I certainly thank you for the honor.”
Judge Ross has held multiple judicial roles since being elected in 1998 as General Sessions Judge with Juvenile Court Jurisdiction for Wayne County and Clifton City Judge. He has also served as Collinwood City Judge since 2000. His legal career includes a decade as Wayne County Attorney and work as a Sole (Legal) Practitioner since 1997.
His educational background includes degrees from Middle Tennessee State University and Samford University's Cumberland School of Law. Among his accolades is his induction as a fellow into the Tennessee Bar Foundation in 2010.
Judge Ross has contributed significantly to various judicial conferences in Tennessee, including serving on committees such as Legislative Committee Member & Chair, Executive Committee, and Board of Governors Member. He recently concluded his term as President of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference and currently leads the Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference.
Justice Lee presented the award through a video message.
“Even more impressive is his service to his community and his family,” said Justice Lee. “When seeing a child from his court in need of a home several years ago, he not only adopted the child, he persuaded his brother to adopt her sister so they could grow up together. Finally, if all of that wasn’t enough, here’s the clincher, he’s a loyal fan of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. His value to his jurisdictions and his service to the entire Tennessee judiciary is immeasurable.”
The Sharon G. Lee Award of Excellence was established by the Municipal Judges’ Board of Governors to recognize municipal judges who have made significant contributions during their tenure on the bench. It is named after Justice Sharon G. Lee due to her beginnings as Madisonville Municipal Court Judge.