Fewer firsts: Female judges talk diminishing gender gap
From left to right: Valerie Smith, Carolyn Wade Blackett, Holly Kirby and Camille McMullen are among the 75 women of Tennessee’s 230 judges. (Submitted)
When Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett first took the bench 30 years ago, she said it was “very strange” to be one of only a few women.
Blackett, who presides over Shelby County Criminal Court Division 4, was the first female criminal court judge in the county and the first Black female criminal court judge in Tennessee.
At her first annual judicial conference, colleagues mistook her for hotel staff.
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Shelby County Criminal Court Shelby County Circuit Court Tennessee Supreme Court Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Julia Baker
Julia Baker covers Memphis and Shelby County’s law enforcement agencies and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. A lifelong Memphian, Julia graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
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