Kevin H. Sharp
Encyclopedia
Kevin Hunter Sharp was an attorney in Nashville, Tennessee
and is currently a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
. On May 2, 2011, the Senate
confirmed his nomination by a vote of 89 ayes to 0 nays. He received his commission on May 3, 2011.
. He earned an associate's degree
from Mesa Community College
in 1988. Sharp then received a Bachelor of Science
, summa cum laude, from Christian Brothers College (now known as Christian Brothers University
) in 1990 and a Juris Doctor
from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1993.
from the Tennessee House delegation provided recommendations to the Obama White House for filling a vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
. Sharp, himself a Democrat, was included on the original list of recommendations, but the delegation ultimately recommended Nashville attorney Kathryn Barnett as its first choice. However, Sharp was the preferred choice of Republican
Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander
and Bob Corker
.
On November 17, 2010, President Barack Obama
nominated Sharp to a judgeship on the Middle District of Tennessee. If confirmed, he would fill the seat vacated by Judge Robert L. Echols
. On April 14, 2011, the Senate
scheduled a vote on his nomination for May 2, 2011 and the Senate
confirmed his nomination by a vote of 89 ayes to 0 nays. He received his commission on May 3, 2011.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and is currently a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is the federal trial court for most of Middle Tennessee. Based in Nashville, it was created in 1839 when Congress added a third district to the state...
. On May 2, 2011, the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed his nomination by a vote of 89 ayes to 0 nays. He received his commission on May 3, 2011.
Early life and education
Sharp was born on January 22, 1963, in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. He earned an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
from Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, is the largest of the 10 community colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District and is the largest in the United States. MCC began in 1963 as a branch of Phoenix College and later granted independent status in 1965.MCC offers more than 200...
in 1988. Sharp then received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, summa cum laude, from Christian Brothers College (now known as Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university is run by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers...
) in 1990 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1993.
Judicial nomination
During the 111th Congress, DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from the Tennessee House delegation provided recommendations to the Obama White House for filling a vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is the federal trial court for most of Middle Tennessee. Based in Nashville, it was created in 1839 when Congress added a third district to the state...
. Sharp, himself a Democrat, was included on the original list of recommendations, but the delegation ultimately recommended Nashville attorney Kathryn Barnett as its first choice. However, Sharp was the preferred choice of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
and Bob Corker
Bob Corker
Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Before his election to the Senate in 2006, he served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2001 to 2005. Corker was a businessman prior to holding public office.-Early life and family:Born in Orangeburg, South...
.
On November 17, 2010, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Sharp to a judgeship on the Middle District of Tennessee. If confirmed, he would fill the seat vacated by Judge Robert L. Echols
Robert L. Echols
Robert L. Echols is a United States federal judge.Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Echols received a B.A. from Rhodes College in 1962 and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1964. He was in the United States Army in 1966. He was a law clerk to judge Marion S. Boyd, of the U.S....
. On April 14, 2011, the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
scheduled a vote on his nomination for May 2, 2011 and the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed his nomination by a vote of 89 ayes to 0 nays. He received his commission on May 3, 2011.