The Hon. Rachel L. Bell is a judge for Division VIII of the Davidson County General Sessions Court in Tennessee. She was elected to the bench on August 27, 2012.
Over the course of her judicial career, Bell played an instrumental role in creating the General Sessions Music City Community Court. She also started the LEGACY Housing Resource Diversionary Court & Program, which is designed to assist landlords and tenants experiencing hardship and non-payment of rent. Bell is also in the process of establishing the CARE LGBTQ+ Diversionary Court.
Prior to her election, Bell was a managing partner at Bell & Kinslow, a legal practice based in Nashville. She was also the founder and chief operations officer of Pinnacle Title & Escrow.
Bell earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Memphis in 2000. She then completed a J.D. at the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, in 2004. She is licensed to practice in Tennessee (2005) and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (2006).
Her memberships have included the Napier-Looby Bar Association, the Nashville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Stonewall Bar Association, and the Lawyers Association for Women. She has also been involved with GROW (Golfers Recognizing Opportunities for Women), the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Political Collaborative, and the Davidson County Democratic Women, and she has served on the boards of Hands on Nashville, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and East Nashville Hope Exchange.
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Bell graduated from Hillsboro Comprehensive High School. Her family has resided in the city for three generations. She attends New Covenant Christian Church. Her wife, Dr. Dorsha, is an emergency medicine physician.