Replaces retiring Judge Wheeler A. Rosenbalm on bench in Knox County
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Deborah C. Stevens of Knoxville as Circuit Court Judge for the 6th Judicial District in Knox County following the retirement of Judge Wheeler A. Rosenbalm.
“I am pleased to appoint Deborah Stevens in light of her 30-year career,” Haslam said. “She has an extensive track record that will serve the district well.” Since 1998, Stevens has served as president and managing shareholder of Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, a firm with more than 60 lawyers and offices in Knoxville and Nashville.
Stevens has tried more than 100 criminal and civil cases and has been involved in mediation and settlement of hundreds of cases. She has worked throughout the Southeast and in 1996 was named by the National Law Journal as one of the Top Ten Litigators in the country.
“I am honored and humbled by this appointment,” Stevens said. “I thank the governor, and I look forward to this next chapter and serving the community. There are big shoes to fill.”
Stevens has been involved in product liability litigation and has defended professional liability claims involving attorneys, real estate agents, insurance agents and medical professionals. She has also represented major insurance companies in the prosecution and defense of insurance coverage cases. Stevens began her career in general civil and criminal practice in Knox County and Morgan County. She returned to Knoxville in 1984 and was involved in bankruptcy and banking matters for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Stevens was in the 2006 class of Leadership Knoxville and is president-elect of the Knoxville YWCA. She is a member of the Knoxville Area Urban League Board of Directors and the Executive Women’s Association of Knoxville. Stevens received a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in 1976 and a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1980.
Stevens is married to Hank Stevens and has a daughter, Katie.