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Justice Mary Wagner (JD ’09) may be the youngest member of the Tennessee Supreme Court, but no one in the legal community was surprised when Tennessee Governor Bill Lee selected her to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Roger Page in 2024. "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 at the time of her appointment. “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 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.” That is a sentiment echoed by one of her peers (and another Memphis Law alumna) on the Supreme Court bench, Chief Justice Holly Kirby, who spoke with a number of Memphis legal community members after Justice Wagner’s appointment and consistently heard comments praising her work ethic and abilities. “The consistent comment that I heard from lawyers of all stripes, over and over, was that she was never perceived as a plaintiff’s judge or a defendant’s judge,” Justice Kirby said. “These lawyers stressed 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.”
But even before becoming a judge, or even a practicing attorney, Justice Wagner was familiar with the legal community from an early age. And that gave her some unique insight into being an attorney and the responsibilities that entailed. “In many ways, I was raised in a law office and at the courthouse,” she said. “I was taught from a young age to respect the judicial process and those who are a part of it, from judges to clerks and other lawyers. I watched my grandfather be a fierce advocate and opponent, but still genuine friends with opposing counsel. I saw the law as what my family used every day to help people and solve problems.”
me to become an attorney and also an advocate for our legal system.” Real-world experiences continued to be great learning opportunities when she was enrolled at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law as well. During her time here, she was able to further her understanding of the various legal sectors and concentrations in the real world, helping her have a thorough understanding of many things that would be helpful further along in her career. “I was blessed to have many great opportunities while I was at the University of Memphis, and I think those have only increased for students since I graduated,” Justice Wagner recalled. “Law school is a lot about learning how to think like a lawyer — using core foundations to spot issues, perform research and write analyses. While that is rightfully the focus, experiential learning provided the chance to apply those skills in the actual practice of law.” Her first summer externship while in law school gave her a glimpse into criminal law, while her time clerking for retired Judge Butch Childers in Circuit Court during her 3L year offered her a glimpse into what the future held for her (though she may not have known it at the time).
That early exposure to the legal system gave her a unique perspective as well. “Being around lawyers so much, I took for granted my familiarity with the law and its operation,” Justice Wagner said. “I realized later that non-lawyers often see and understand things quite differently. My family and my experiences inspired
“The externship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office was my first experience in a law office outside my family’s firm, and my first exposure to criminal law,” Justice Wagner said. “Then my time with Judge Childers was my first view of the court from the judge’s perspective.” “Both of those opportunities also allowed me to network and learn from local attorneys — many of whom are still friends and connections today. To be a part of the Memphis legal community while still a law student was a wonderful bonus.”
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