Bredesen Announces Judicial Appointments Clement, Bonnyman and Dinkins Selected to Fill Positions

Nashville - Governor Phil Bredesen today announced that Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Frank Clement, Jr., will fill a position on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section, and Nashville Chancery Court Clerk and Master Claudia Capps Bonnyman and Nashville attorney Richard Dinkins will fill Chancery Court positions in the 20th Judicial District.

Clement will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Ben Cantrell. Bonnyman will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Chancellor Irvin Kilcrease, Jr., and Dinkins will fill the new Part IV Chancery Court position created by the General Assembly earlier this year.

"Each of these individuals brings great experience and skill to their appointments, and I'm confident they'll bring the highest degree of honor and integrity to the courts," Bredesen said.

Clement, appointed to the Court of Appeals, Middle Section, has practiced law for 24 years. He has served as Davidson County Division VII Circuit Court judge since 1995. Clement's experience prior to serving as Circuit Court judge include having been a partner with Clement, Gibson and Gregory from 1983 to 1995, and having worked as an associate with Howell and Fisher from 1979 to 1983.

"It is a privilege to be chosen to serve my community in this capacity," said Clement. "I will do all I can to bring the highest level of fairness, integrity and respect to my position on the Court of Appeals."

Clement, 54, holds a bachelor's degree in education from Memphis State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Nashville School of Law. He is a member of the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations and the National College of Probate Judges. He served as president of the Nashville Bar Association in 1995 and on the board of directors from 1991 to 1995. He was treasurer and an executive committee member of the Tennessee Trial Judges Association from 1998 to 2002.

Dinkins, appointed to Part IV of the 20th Judicial District's Chancery Court, has practiced law for 26 years. He has worked as an attorney in the law firm Dodson, Parker, Dinkins and Behm since 1999. From 1981 to 1999, he was a partner with Williams and Dinkins, and prior to that, was an associate in the law firm of the Honorable Avon Williams, Jr. He is well-known throughout the legal community for his work in civil rights law, having specialized in claims including school desegregation, employment and voting rights.

"Throughout my career, I've always done my best to be prepared and knowledgeable of the facts, applicable law and procedure required to represent my clients in the most fair manner possible," Dinkins said. "I intend to bring this same level of respect and integrity of the law to my position with the Chancery Court."

Dinkins, 51, holds a bachelor's degree in English from Denison University, Granville, Ohio, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville. He has been a member of the Tennessee and National Bar Associations, the Napier-Looby Bar Association, and is a former barrister with Harry Phillips American Inns of Court. He has received numerous awards throughout the course of his career, including the Liberty Bell Award in 2001 from the Nashville Bar Association, the Z. Alexander Looby Community Service Award from the Napier-Looby Bar Association in 2001, a Civil Rights Leadership Award from the Nashville chapter of the NAACP in 1991, and a Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators in 1989.

Bonnyman, appointed to Part I of the 20th Judicial District's Chancery Court, has practiced law for 29 years. She has served as clerk and master for the Chancery Court of the 20th Judicial District since 1989, and was re-appointed to successive six-year terms in 1995 and 2001. Bonnyman's experience prior to working for the Chancery Court includes having worked as associate and partner with the law firm of Ortale, Kelley, Herbert and Crawford from 1987 to 1989. She worked in solo practice from 1986 to 1987, and worked as an associate and partner with Waddey and Jennings from 1981 to 1985.

"I am honored to have been chosen to serve in the Chancery Court," said Bonnyman. "I am fully prepared to fill the duties of the Davidson County Chancery Court with competency and integrity, and am humbled to be chosen for this important position."

Bonnyman, 54, holds a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University School of Law, Nashville. She is a co-founding member of the Middle Tennessee organization Lawyer's Association for Women (L.A.W.), and served as the association's first president. She is also a long-standing member of the Tennessee Lawyer's Association for Women (T.L.A.W.). She is a Tennessee Bar Foundation Fellow and is a member of the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations, and the National Association for Court Managers. Bonnyman received the Women's Equity at Vanderbilt Award in 1995 for her pro bono work in private practice, was elected to the boards of directors of the Nashville Bar Association and L.A.W. in 1996 and 2000, respectively. In a recent poll completed by the Nashville Bar Association, Bonnyman received the highest evaluation among the 21 applicants for this position.

Judge Clement will stand for election in August 2004 and then for election to a full 8-year term in 2006. The Part IV position in the 20th Judicial District Chancery Court appointment was created Sept. 1. Chancellor Kilcrease's retirement from Part 1 is effective Oct. 1. Both Chancery Court appointees will stand for election in 2004 and then for election to a full 8-year term in 2006.