The Hon. Clara W. Byrd is a judge for the 15th Judicial District Circuit Court of Tennessee. She was elected to the bench in 1998.
The 15th Judicial District encompasses Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson Counties.
Byrd earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1977. She then completed a J.D. at Nashville School of Law in 1982.
After graduating from law school, Byrd entered into private practice. She handled general civil and family law matters until her election to the bench.
Her memberships have included the Lebanon & Mount Juliet Chamber of Commerce as well as Lebanon Business. She has also been involved with Cedar Grove Baptist Church, where she has served as a Sunday school teacher, a pianist, and a bulletin editor.
Born in Alabama, Byrd was raised throughout the South, following her father’s work as a Baptist minister in Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and Georgia. She and her husband, Bob, have three dogs and two cats. When not presiding over legal proceedings, she enjoys boating and gardening.