U.S. Senate Confirms Adams and Reese Attorney, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark S. Norris as Federal Judge

On Thursday, October 11, the United States Senate confirmed Tennessee Senate Majority Leader and Adams and Reese attorney Mark S. Norris as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee. Norris will assume his new responsibilities once President Donald Trump confirms his appointment.

Norris has been a member of Adams and Reese’s litigation practice group since 2006. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® in municipal litigation. He has successfully represented municipalities in the Sixth Circuit, including the Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Norris served as a Shelby County Commissioner for six years before being elected to represent the state’s 32nd District in the Tennessee Senate in 2000. He was first elected Senate Majority Leader in 2007 and, having been subsequently re-elected five consecutive times since, he is the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader in Tennessee history. He was re-elected to a fifth term in the Senate in 2016 and has served as a member of multiple boards and committees throughout his tenure.

Following his confirmation, Norris said, “I am honored to receive the U.S. Senate’s confirmation to continue my public service as a federal judge. While I will miss working with my clients and colleagues at Adams and Reese and in the Tennessee Senate, I look forward to this next chapter to serve our nation and the legal profession. I thank President Trump, Sens. Alexander and Corker, my fellow state senators, and my friends in the legal community for their support. Most of all, I would like to thank the citizens of the 32nd District for the exceptional privilege of serving as their senator for almost 20 years.”

“I recommended Senator Norris to the president, and I strongly supported Mark’s nomination,” said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., in an October 11 statement. “He is respected by his peers around the country, having been elected chairman of the Council of State Governments, and has been an advocate and a champion for federalism and for the separation of powers.”

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., also released a statement, noting “Mark Norris has long been a devoted public servant in Tennessee, and I am pleased he will continue to serve our state as a federal district court judge. I am confident Mark will faithfully uphold the Constitution and serve West Tennesseans with integrity as he has throughout his terms in the state legislature. I congratulate him on his confirmation and thank my colleagues for supporting his nomination.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam shared praise for Norris in a tweet Thursday, stating “Mark Norris has made Tennessee a better place as Senate Majority Leader and he will continue to do so as a federal judge for West Tennessee. Personally, I thank (Norris) for carrying our legislation these last eight years and for his great public service to our state.”

“We are proud to congratulate our friend and colleague Mark Norris on the milestone of his confirmation as a federal judge. This is but the next step in Mark’s distinguished career. Mark serves the people of Tennessee with integrity, fairness and thoughtfulness. We appreciate his contributions to our clients and our state and his dedication to the legal profession,” said Gif Thornton, Managing Partner of Adams and Reese.

Norris joined Adams and Reese in 2006. He earned his J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1980 and his B.A. in Political Science from Colorado College in 1977.