Gov. Bill Lee was in Knoxville on July 7, 2026, for the investiture of Justice Kyle A. Hixson as the newest member of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Hixson fills the position of retired Justice Holly Kirby.

Hixson’s family participated in the ceremony including wife Rachel and daughters Harper, Henley and Hattie.

Judge Hixson has a fast-track career, having been appointed by Gov. Lee to the Knox County Criminal Court and then to the state’s Court of Criminal Appeals.

He has served on the board of directors for the Sertoma Center and CASA of East Tennessee. He also is a Fellow with the Tennessee Bar Foundation and a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and the Federalist Society.

He is known by Tennessee fans for his time with the Vol Network, where he served as a color commentator for Tennessee baseball broadcasts from 2005 through 2011. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s in broadcasting and a law degree.

Local journalist Heather Waliga posted: “Proud to see our dear friend and fellow UT alum Justice Kyle Hixson be sworn in as the newest member of the TN Supreme Court! What an honor to be part of this special day.”

Winston Law Professor Alex Long awarded Thomas Jefferson Prize

Alex Long, UT law professor, was awarded the 2026 Thomas Jefferson Prize, one of the university’s top faculty honors.

Alex Long

The Jefferson Prize recognizes tenured or tenure-track faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in research and creative activity or made other significant achievements that may not be recognized through the university’s usual reward systems, with preference given to faculty members working in fields where external funding is limited.

Long is the Williford Gragg Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. He joins four others from the College of Law to win the Jefferson Prize: Dean Hill Rivkin (2001), professor of law emeritus; Doug Blaze (2004), dean emeritus and professor of law emeritus; Penny White (2012), professor of law emerita; and Wendy Bach (2023), professor of law and co-director of the Appalachian Justice Research Center.

While at Winston Law, Long has published widely on diverse topics – “whatever I find interesting,” he said. Research into judges’ use of music lyrics in judicial decision led to two articles and an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered.

Since joining the faculty in 2007, he has come to appreciate Winston Law’s emphasis on training students to be practice-ready and fostering a supportive community on campus.

“There’s not the level of cutthroat behavior that you sometimes see in law schools,” he said. “Our students support each other and there’s a good relationship between students, faculty and staff that, I think, sets us apart from a lot of other law schools.”

The Knoxville Bar Association has formed a new real estate section, led by co-chairs Benjamin C. Mullins and Mary D. Miller. The various sections are designed to connect bar association members with colleagues in their practice areas.

Blotter

DA Charme Allen announced that prosecutors in the Career Gang Unit obtained convictions against a repeat offender caught with drugs and a gun. The 39-year-old male was convicted of Possession with Intent to Sell Cocaine, Fentanyl and Gabapentin, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Violent Felon. Judge Hector Sanchez set the case for sentencing on September 3 where the defendant is facing a minimum of 17 years in prison. Details here.

Notes & Quotes

“Lindsey Graham counseled Trump to remain supportive of Ukraine, even when Trump wanted to abandon the nation,” said former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Graham had been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in Washington. He died just hours after returning from Ukraine, where he met with President Zelenskyy. He told reporters in Kyiv on Friday that a bipartisan group of senators had reached an agreement with the White House to impose new sanctions on Russia in an effort to end that country’s long-running war with Ukraine, Reich reported.

Pushing Russia out of Ukraine should be Washington’s memorial for Lindsey Graham.

Todd Blanche faces the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday at 9 a.m. for what’s expected to be a two-day hearing on Blanche’s confirmation as U.S. Atty. General. Joyce Vance reports that Blanche will need a majority of the votes from senators who are present to move to the Senate floor. With the death of Lindsey Graham, the committee has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

Quote: Every successful revolution puts on in time the robes of the tyrant it has deposed. – Barbara Tuchman, historian

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Sandra Clark writes daily at KnoxTNToday. The Let’s Talk series features law, neighbors, schools, leaders, and outdoors. Enjoyed this article? Read more Let’s Talk – Law columns by Sandra Clark.

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