Women's Tribute: Cindy Chappell

Cindy Chappell did not set out to become a judge — or even a lawyer.

When she left McKenzie for college in the late 1980s, Chappell was more interested in law enforcement than the legal profession. She imagined working for a state police agency or possibly the FBI. Law school, she thought, might simply be a step along the way.

Now, after almost 30 years of practicing law, Chappell serves as a criminal court judge in Davidson County, presiding over cases in Nashville.

Chappell moved to McKenzie as a child and began fourth grade in the McKenzie school system. She remained there through graduation, finishing high school in 1986 in a class of 86 students.

She stayed busy in school activities, playing basketball and softball and taking dance lessons for years. Education was also a central part of life at home. Her father, Richard, worked in the school system as a coach and teacher, and her mother, Peggy, returned to college while Chappell was still in school to earn her degree and become a teacher.

After high school, Chappell attended Rhodes College in Memphis, graduating in 1990 with a psychology degree that focused on law and government. She was most interested in the abnormal psychology component of criminal law, but also in the jury process and the jury trial process.

In college, Chappell said she was fortunate to take the law school entrance exam. She did well on the test, earning a scholarship to the University of Memphis Law School.

“In my mind, I was still going to go into law enforcement,” Chappell said, “but I wanted to get my law degree first.”

While in school, Chappell worked for several attorneys and spent time in court observing their cases. Those experiences gradually changed her plans.

“The more I spent time in and around the courtroom,” she said, “the more I decided that I would start with law. I always kind of left it open that I might do something else, but I really became interested in practicing law.”

Her first position after graduating came with Memphis attorney Russell X. Thompson, who hired her as an associate. Thompson, known for his work in civil rights and labor law, became an early mentor to Chappell and helped prepare her for the next stage of her career.

Working in a small office gave Chappell a close view of how a law practice operates.

“He [Thompson] spent a lot of time explaining to me how to be not just a lawyer, but also a solo practitioner and how the business side of law worked,” she said.

Chappell eventually moved to Nashville and spent a short time practicing with other attorneys before opening her own firm.

From 1999 until she was elected judge in 2022, she operated Chappell Law Offices as a solo practitioner.

Most of her work focused on criminal defense in both state and federal courts. She also handled other cases, including divorces, and developed a reputation that brought many fellow attorneys to her office when they needed legal representation themselves.

After nearly three decades practicing law, colleagues began encouraging Chappell to consider becoming a judge.

“I really loved being a lawyer,” Chappell said. “I loved my job.”

Still, after 29 years in practice, she believed she could bring experience and the right temperament to the bench.

When a judicial race opened in 2022, she decided to run.

Her campaign focused largely on her years of courtroom experience and her reputation for being hardworking and honest. Four candidates ultimately appeared on the ballot.

Chappell won the election and now serves an eight-year term that runs through 2030.

The role changed her place in the courtroom but not her commitment to the legal system.

“I enjoy it very much,” she said. “I get to watch lawyers work hard in the courtroom. I’m really seeing the criminal justice process at its best.”

The cases can involve difficult situations and serious harm, she said, but the responsibility of the court is to focus on the law.

“It’s critically important that we follow and adhere to the rule of law and not have emotion be the root of decisions,” she said.

Outside the courtroom, Chappell stays involved in the legal community. She is active in the Lawyers’ Association for Women and volunteers as a judge for mock trial competitions. She also participates in expungement clinics, where judges help eligible individuals clear certain criminal records in a single setting.

Looking back on her career, she said some of the most meaningful work came from helping people who might otherwise struggle to find legal representation.

“There are such a shortage of services for people that don’t have financial means,” she said. “Those cases are probably some of the ones that you feel the best about.”

For those considering a career in law, Chappell sees the profession as more than simply a job.

Lawyers take an oath to uphold the Constitution, she noted — a commitment to a document written more than two centuries ago that still guides the country today.

“If you want to have a career where you make a difference, this is one of them,” Chappell said.