Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed Shelby County Attorney J. Ross Dyer to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Western Section, replacing Roger Page, who recently became a Tennessee Supreme Court Justice.
Dyer’s appointment will require confirmation by the Tennessee General Assembly.
Dyer, 43, has been the chief counsel for Shelby County since 2014, serving as the top legal advisor to the county mayor, county commission and other county officials.
Prior to that, he was senior counsel and managing attorney for the Memphis office of the Tennessee Attorney General from 2004-2014. He was also team leader and assistant attorney general in the criminal justice division of the Nashville office of the Tennessee Attorney General from 1998-2004. In those positions, he handled more than 20 cases in the Tennessee Supreme Court and more than 1,000 cases in the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.
“Ross Dyer’s depth of experience working for Shelby County and the state for 19 years gives us an excellent choice to serve the Western Section,” Haslam said. “We are fortunate to have someone with his background for this position.”
“I am humbled and honored by Governor Haslam’s appointment,” Dyer said. “I appreciate his confidence in me and him providing me with the opportunity to serve the people of Tennessee in a position that I have always considered my dream job. I look forward to working with the other members of the Court of Criminal Appeals and to continue serving my home state.”
Dyer received his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1998 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in economics from Millsaps College in 1995.
Dyer taught as a guest lecturer in appellate practice at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law from 2009-2010 and was a guest lecturer at the school in advanced criminal procedure from 2005-2009. He has also taught seminars for the Tennessee Judicial Conference, Tennessee Bar Association, Memphis Bar Association and Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference on numerous topics.
Dyer has been chairman of the trustees, congregational elder and lay leader for Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis and board chair and chair of the development committee for Christ Community Health Services in Memphis.
Dyer and his wife, Amy, have a daughter, Mary Elizabeth.