Chancellor Daniel Forrester was elected to the 7th Judicial District Chancery Court in August 2024 after winning both the primary and general election.
“I’d been practicing for about 18 years, and it seemed like the perfect time if I was going to attempt to do it to do so,” he said.
Chancellor Forrester was sworn in on August 30 by Circuit Court Judge Ryan Spitzer.
“We were very excited and happy,” said Chancellor Forrester. “All of my family was in attendance, and a good deal of the attorneys and other bar members. I was very excited and very happy to finally get to start.”
After just a few months on the bench, one duty in particular stands out.
“I love doing the adoptions,” he said. “It’s always been a favorite in private practice and when we get to do them, they’re always happy. You have a courtroom full of families and people, and they’re always wonderful. It’s one of the few things we get to do as judges and attorneys where everyone’s smiling and happy to be there.”
Looking back on his path to the bench, Chancellor Forrester points to a criminal law professor at East Tennessee State University for sparking his interest in a legal career.
“She would have us read cases, criminal law cases, and pick out the issues with fact patterns and I loved it.”
That experience led him to Florida Coastal University Law School in sunny Jacksonville, Florida.
“I thought the beach was a good idea at the time,” he said. “I was 22 years old. I never got to see it, though, I studied the whole time.”
All kidding aside, Chancellor Forrester offers this advice to anyone thinking about a judicial career.
“I would say definitely have experience,” he said. “If you’re going to be a criminal court judge, make sure that’s something you do. I’m a chancellor, so I did a whole bunch of family law and things that I hear in court all the time. If that was my goal, I would at least make sure I had practice and experience in the court I was trying to be appointed to.”
Looking ahead, Chancellor Forrester expects the bench to be the last stop in his legal career.
“I tell my assistant, hopefully we are staying here until we retire.”
