Part-time, "Fill in" Magistrate (Judicial Commissioner) - Davidson County General Sessions Court

Full Job Description

There are 5 “Full-Time” Judicial Commissioners who rotate working eight-hour shifts 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Their work shifts are 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. In addition, there are 5 “Power Shift” Judicial Commissioners who rotate working five-hour shifts 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Their work shifts are 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Full Time Judicial Commissioners serve a three-year term of office from September 1 through August 31. Power Shift Judicial Commissioners and Part-Time, Fill-In Judicial Commissioners serve a one-year term of office from September 1 through August 31. All Judicial Commissioners must be reappointed by the GSCT judges at the end of their term.

General Sessions Court also maintains a roster of available Part-Time “Fill-In” Judicial Commissioners who will be called upon to work either a full shift or part of a shift whenever a Full-Time or Power Shift Magistrate is absent and cannot work when scheduled. Absent extraordinary circumstances, Fill-In Commissioners are expected to be available and willing to work when called upon even on short notice.

Fill-In Judicial Commissioners are paid by the hour. There are no set hours. There is no guaranteed number of hours during any one-year term of office; however, all Fill-In Commissioners are required to work a minimum of 25 hours each year. The current hourly rate is $74.28.

***Interested Qualified Applicants should send resume to
General Sessions Court Administrator Kyle Sowell****

***NOTE: Online applications are not accepted for this position.***

TO APPLY:
Please send your resume to:
kylesowell@jisnashville.gov

Resume Submittal Deadline
Friday, February 27, 2026

Requirements

• Issue search warrants during non-regular business hours or sometimes during regular business hours if a General Sessions Judge is not available upon request of the Metro Police Department.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Must have the same qualifications as a General Sessions Judge which is the following: must be 30 years old, have a law degree, licensed to practice law in Tennessee for a minimum of 5 years, and a Tennessee resident for 5 years. Must be a current Davidson County resident.

Must maintain the physical stamina and mental capabilities such as thinking, perceiving and remembering to perform the duties required.

Must abide by and be in good standing with ethical standards and the disciplinary rules in the Rules of Professional Conduct pursuant to Rule 8 of the Tennessee Supreme Court Rules.

Personal computer skills are necessary to operate Metro’s Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and Davidson County’s E-Filing System.

Recognize and understand that the Tennessee Rules of Judicial Conduct apply when serving in this judicial capacity.


Candidates with accreditations earned in a foreign institute are encouraged to apply.


LICENSES REQUIRED
Licensed to practice law in Tennessee for a minimum of 5 years

PRE_EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Must successfully complete training program (up to 30 hours) that includes training in CJIS, ARMS (Arrest System), E-Flex (E-Filing System), probable cause, pre-trial/bail setting, judicial ethics, domestic violence, orders of protection, search warrants, forfeiture warrants, mental health committals, and other areas.After classroom training, there will be shadowing assignments for all 3 full-time shifts in an observing role for 2 hours each shift and assuming primary duty for 2 hours during different shifts with oversight from an on-duty commissioner.Complete training program and shadowing could take up to 6 - 8 weeks.

Candidates will be required to sign a Release and Authorization form which would authorize the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to release disciplinary records to Metro General Sessions Court for their review.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. Metro Nashville is committed to selecting the most qualified candidate for each of our roles.

Metro Nashville Government respects the religious beliefs and practices of all employees and will make, on request, an accommodation for such observances when a reasonable accommodation is available that does not create an undue hardship on business operations.


Requests for ADA or other protected accommodations for the recruitment process should be directed to General Sessions Court at: 615-862-5199.