NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Legal Newsline) - Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Sharon Lee has been appointed to the state's Supreme Court by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Bredesen made the appointment Monday, filling the spot vacated by retiring Justice William Barker by choosing Lee from a group of three candidates submitted by the state's Judicial Selection Commission. She has been a Court of Appeals judge since 2004.

"Sharon has served with distinction on the Court of Appeals and I am confident she will bring the same level of honor and integrity to the Tennessee Supreme Court," Bredesen said. "I am very pleased she has agreed to accept this appointment."

Lee started at J.D. Lee and Associates in Madisonville in 1978 and had a solo practice before Bredesen appointed her to the Court of Appeals.

"I want to thank Gov. Bredesen for this honor," Lee said. "My 26 years of experience as an attorney encompassed virtually all of the types of cases that the Tennessee Supreme Court is called upon to consider, so I understand very well the impact the Court has on the lives of those who come before it.

"I will approach this new role with the recognition of how important it is that decisions be well-reasoned, grounded in the law, legally correct and issued in a timely manner."

Lee, 54, will be sworn in Thursday. She was selected over two attorneys, John McClarty and D. Bruce Shine.

Lee's application can be viewed here. She received her bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee, then graduated from its College of Law.

From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at john@legalnewsline.com.