Tennessee Court Rules (2026)
Browse all 12 rule sets with 843 rules, each with plain-English summaries and committee notes. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules.
Tennessee Court Rules & Rules of Practice
How this jurisdiction's courts and rules are organized, written for lawyers new to it: the court system, every ruleset a litigator touches, and how a case actually moves. Last verified September 24, 2026. For informational purposes only.
- Court System Overview
- The Ruleset Map
- Civil Litigation Mechanics
- Criminal Practice Mechanics
- Evidence
- Appellate Mechanics
- Rules of Professional Conduct
- Attorney Discipline & Enforcement
- Newcomer Orientation Notes
- Sources & Verification
Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure
The Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure govern civil actions in the circuit, chancery and other courts of record, covering commencement of actions, service of process, pleadings, discovery, summary judgment, trial and judgments.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Evidence
The Tennessee Rules of Evidence govern the admissibility of evidence in the state courts, covering relevance, privileges, witnesses, opinion and expert testimony, hearsay, authentication and writings.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure
The Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure govern appeals to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals, covering the initiation of appeals, the record, briefs, oral argument and post-decision review.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure
The Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure govern criminal proceedings in the state courts, covering preliminary proceedings, indictment, arraignment and pleas, pretrial motions, trial, sentencing and post-trial relief.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseRules of the Tennessee Supreme Court
The Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court govern practice before the Court and also cover admission to the bar, professional conduct, lawyer and judicial discipline, continuing legal education, and the administration of the courts.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Professional Conduct
Rule 8 of the Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court is the Rules of Professional Conduct, governing the ethical duties of lawyers practicing in Tennessee: the client-lawyer relationship, the lawyer as counselor and as advocate, dealings with people other than clients, law firm responsibilities, public service, information about legal services, and maintaining the integrity of the profession. Each rule is published with its official Comment and its definitional cross-references.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules for Licensing of Attorneys
How a lawyer becomes licensed in Tennessee — Supreme Court Rule 7, one hundred sections in seventeen articles. Article I sets the prerequisites to engaging in the practice of law and the certificate of eligibility; the articles that follow cover the Board of Law Examiners, the application and examination and the dates that cannot be waived, admission by transferred UBE score, admission without examination for attorneys licensed elsewhere, the character and fitness investigation, and the oath. Later articles govern the specialised licences a practitioner may need: limited practice by law students and by attorneys employed full-time by a single client, pro hac vice admission, registration of in-house counsel, and the licensing of foreign legal consultants. The final articles cover fees, confidentiality of application records, review of Board decisions, and conflicts of interest.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Juvenile Practice and Procedure
The Tennessee Rules of Juvenile Practice and Procedure govern proceedings in the juvenile courts, covering dependency and neglect, delinquency, unruly conduct, and termination of parental rights.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Code of Judicial Conduct
The standards Tennessee judges are held to — Supreme Court Rule 10, thirty-nine rules in four canons, with the Preamble, Scope, Terminology and Application that the canons turn on. A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and avoid impropriety and its appearance; shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently and diligently; shall conduct personal and extrajudicial activities to minimise the risk of conflict; and shall not engage in political or campaign activity inconsistent with judicial independence. Canon 2 is the working half — precedence of the duties of office, bias and harassment, ensuring the right to be heard, ex parte communications, and disqualification. Canon 3 covers extrajudicial activities, appearances before governmental bodies, testifying as a character witness, fiduciary and arbitral appointments, and the acceptance and reporting of gifts. The Application states which judicial officers each canon reaches and the time each has to comply.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement
What happens when a complaint is made against a Tennessee lawyer — Supreme Court Rule 9, thirty-seven sections. Section 1 states the premise: the license to practice is a continuing proclamation by the Court that the holder is fit to be entrusted with professional and judicial matters. Sections 3 to 7 establish the disciplinary districts, the Board of Professional Responsibility, the district committees and Disciplinary Counsel; Section 11 sets the grounds for discipline and Section 12 the types available. The procedure runs through Section 15 on initiation, investigation and hearing, Section 19 on subpoena power and pre-trial proceedings, Section 22 on attorneys convicted of crimes, Sections 23 and 24 on disbarment and discipline by consent, Section 25 on reciprocal discipline, Section 30 on reinstatement and Section 33 on appeal. Section 27 covers proceedings where an attorney is declared incompetent or alleged to be incapacitated, Section 29 the appointment of a receiver, Section 32 confidentiality, and Section 36 the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Rules of Post-Conviction Procedure
The procedure for challenging a conviction after direct appeal — Supreme Court Rule 28, twelve sections. Section 4 governs commencement of a post-conviction proceeding and Section 5 the nature of the pleadings, including what a petition must contain and the consequences of an incomplete one. Section 6 sets out the procedure after a petition is filed — preliminary consideration, the order of dismissal or to respond, appointment of counsel and the amended petition — and Sections 7 and 8 cover discovery, production of evidence and the evidentiary hearing. Section 9 is the determination and the relief available, Section 10 appeals, and Section 11 the withdrawal of a post-conviction petition in a capital case.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseTennessee Business Court Docket Orders
The Supreme Court of Tennessee created and governs the Business Court Docket by administrative order rather than by a numbered rule set, so the orders themselves are the law of the docket. Established as a Davidson County pilot in 2015 and continued as Phase 2, the docket takes civil cases filed on or after May 1, 2017 in which at least $250,000 in compensatory damages is alleged, or which seek primarily injunctive or declaratory relief, and which also involve business governance, commercial contracts, securities, trade secrets or comparable matters. Personal injury, employment and construction disputes are excluded. Each order is published here as its own rule, numbered by its date, so a citation to any of them resolves.
Updated 2026 Edition
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