Fifty years and one day after receiving his license to practice law in Tennessee, Shelby County Probate Court Judge Robert Benham will mark the date with another milestone: retirement.
Judge Benham was appointed to the bench by the Shelby County Commission in 1997 and re-elected in 1998 and 2006.
“Being selected to be a judge in this court has always been a dream – from the first time I appeared in probate court,” Judge Benham said.
Prior to his years of service on the bench, Judge Benham was a treasury department attorney and served in private practice for 32 years. He earned both his undergrad and law degrees at Vanderbilt University.
Judge Benham doesn’t have any specific plans for retirement, although he likely will remain involved in some of the many civic groups he has been active in throughout his career. He did say his wife, author and educator Ann Lewin-Benham, shows no signs of slowing down.
Judge Benham’s last day on the bench will be March 28.
