Our Team

In addition to her duties in General Sessions Court, Judge Blackburn serves as judge of the Mental Health and Veterans Courts. She works through the court program to provide assistance to the mentally challenged and works with Nashville’s Veterans who have encountered legal difficulties resulting from trauma suffered in the service of the United States Military. Since taking the bench, Judge Blackburn has established the Davidson County Mental Health and Veterans Court Assistance Foundation.

In her role as Judge, she successfully led the effort in 2015 to secure funding to support the work of Veterans Courts in the Tennessee Legislature, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to provide such funding. In 2022, she successfully worked with the Legislature to enact Tennessee’s first funding of Mental Health Courts. Her court now serves as a mentor court for other jurisdictions across Tennessee as they implement Mental Health Court programs.

Among the civic leadership positions Judge Blackburn has held are:

• Member of the Tennessee Bar Association.
• Member of the Nashville Bar Association.
• Elected to the Nashville Bar Association Board of Directors for 2019-2023.
• Nashville Bar Association First Vice President, 2022
• Past Board Member, Lawyers Association for Women.
• 2005-2007 Chairman of the Downtown Nashville YMCA Board.
  Campaign Chairman for the YMCA “We Build People” Campaign.
• Past Chair of the General Sessions Court Committee for Nashville Bar Association.
• Past Chair of the Small and Solo Section of Tennessee Bar Association.
  Fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation.
• Fellow of the American Inns of Court.
• Former Executive Director of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Tennessee Chapter.
• Member of “Women In Numbers.”
• Developed the “Women Build” Program for Habitat, annually bringing together a diverse group of women leaders to build a home for a deserving woman in Nashville.
• Member of the Downtown Nashville Chapter of Rotary International.
• Member of the Hearts of Hope Luncheon Committee for the Nashville Rescue Mission.
• Member of the Women’s Political Collaborative.
  Member of the Davidson County Democratic Women.
• Member of Nashville CABLE.
• 2022 Graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee.
• 2023 Graduate of Leadership Nashville.

Together Judge Blackburn and her husband, Nashville Attorney Gary Blackburn, are the parents of four children and recently welcomed their fourth grandchild. They are avid fans of the Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans. In her spare time she enjoys golf, spending time with Gary and doting on her dog, Abigail.