E. Riley Anderson
lawyer · judge
- August 10, 1932 · Chattanooga
- July 4, 2018
- 85 years
About E. Riley Anderson
E. Riley Anderson, 85, American judge, Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court (1994–1996, 1997–1998, 1998–2001).
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Full Biography
|Edward Riley Anderson (August 10, 1932 – July 4, 2018) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1990 to 2006.
Early life and education
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Anderson a Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee. He graduated from the Appellate Judges Program in 1988 and from the Advanced Appellate Judges Program in 1999 at New York University.
Career
He practiced private law in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from 1958 to 1987. He was elected the charter commissioner of the city of Oak Ridge and served from 1962 to 1964. He was appointed to the Court of Appeals on March 2, 1987 and elected in August 1988.
In August 1990, Anderson became one of the last Tennessee Supreme Court members to enter office through an election, rather than being appointed by the governor and subject to a subsequent vote on retention. He was re-elected to the Supreme Court in August 1998. He served as chief justice of the Supreme Court from October 1994 to May 1996, from July 1997 to August 1998, and from September 1998 to August 2001.
During Anderson's time as Chief Justice, the Supreme Court passed a rule allowing the media to bring cameras into courtrooms. He worked on and wrote more than 3,000 appellate court decisions during his judicial career. On January 25, 2006, E. Riley Anderson announced that he would retire from the Supreme Court on August 31 of that year. However, when it became apparent that Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen and the judicial selection commission created under the Tennessee Plan were not going to be able to agree upon two nominees to replace Anderson and fellow retiring justice A. A. Birch Jr., Anderson agreed to continue his service on an interim basis until a successor could be named and qualified.
Anderson was also president of the Anderson County Bar Association, of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and of the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court. He was also a member of the Board of Delegates of the Tennessee Bar Association. Between 1990 and 1995, he served as the chair of the Tennessee Judicial Council.
Anderson served as chair of the Select Senate/House Committee on Court Automation between 1990 and 1994. In 1998 and 1999 he was vice-chair of the Courts, Children and the Family Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices, an organization whose membership is composed of the highest judicial officers of U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and certain territories. In 1999 and 2000, he was on the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Riley_Anderson
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 12, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from E. Riley Anderson's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was E. Riley Anderson born?
- A.Knoxville, Tennessee
- B.Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- C.Nashville, Tennessee
- D.Chattanooga, Tennesseecorrect
E. Riley Anderson was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Source: Early life and education section
2.On what date was E. Riley Anderson born?
- A.July 4, 1932
- B.March 2, 1932
- C.August 10, 1932correct
- D.August 31, 1932
The biography states that E. Riley Anderson was born on August 10, 1932.
Source: Early life and education section
3.Which university did E. Riley Anderson attend to earn his Juris Doctor?
- A.New York University
- B.University of Tennesseecorrect
- C.University of Memphis
- D.Vanderbilt University
E. Riley Anderson earned a Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee.
Source: Early life and education section
4.In which city did E. Riley Anderson practice private law from 1958 to 1987?
- A.Chattanooga
- B.Knoxville
- C.Oak Ridgecorrect
- D.Nashville
E. Riley Anderson practiced private law in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from 1958 to 1987.
Source: Career section
5.What role did E. Riley Anderson serve in the city of Oak Ridge between 1962 and 1964?
- A.City judge
- B.City attorney
- C.Mayor
- D.Charter commissionercorrect
E. Riley Anderson was elected the charter commissioner of the city of Oak Ridge and served from 1962 to 1964.
Source: Career section
6.When did E. Riley Anderson retire from the Tennessee Supreme Court?
- A.August 31, 2001
- B.July 4, 2018
- C.January 25, 2006
- D.August 31, 2006correct
E. Riley Anderson announced he would retire on August 31, 2006, though he stayed on an interim basis afterward.
Source: Career section
7.Approximately how many appellate court decisions did E. Riley Anderson write during his judicial career?
- A.More than 5,000
- B.More than 3,000correct
- C.Exactly 1,000
- D.Less than 500
E. Riley Anderson worked on and wrote more than 3,000 appellate court decisions during his judicial career.
Source: Career section
8.What specific rule was passed by the Supreme Court during E. Riley Anderson's time as Chief Justice?
- A.Allowing media to bring cameras into courtroomscorrect
- B.Limiting the number of appellate cases per year
- C.Mandating televised trials for all criminal cases
- D.Requiring electronic filing of all documents
The Supreme Court passed a rule allowing the media to bring cameras into courtrooms while E. Riley Anderson was Chief Justice.
Source: Career section
9.Where did E. Riley Anderson graduate from the Advanced Appellate Judges Program in 1999?
- A.Columbia University
- B.Harvard University
- C.New York Universitycorrect
- D.University of Tennessee
E. Riley Anderson graduated from the Advanced Appellate Judges Program at New York University in 1999.
Source: Early life and education section
10.Between 1990 and 1995, what position did E. Riley Anderson hold regarding the Tennessee Judicial Council?
- A.Chaircorrect
- B.Treasurer
- C.Secretary
- D.Member at large
E. Riley Anderson served as the chair of the Tennessee Judicial Council between 1990 and 1995.
Source: Career section
11.What committee did E. Riley Anderson serve as chair of between 1990 and 1994?
- A.Committee on Judicial Ethics
- B.Select Senate/House Committee on Court Automationcorrect
- C.State Constitutional Revision Committee
- D.Judicial Budget Committee
E. Riley Anderson served as chair of the Select Senate/House Committee on Court Automation from 1990 to 1994.
Source: Career section
12.Which organization's Board of Directors did E. Riley Anderson serve on in 1999 and 2000?
- A.Tennessee Bar Association
- B.Conference of Chief Justicescorrect
- C.National Association of Appellate Judges
- D.American Bar Association
E. Riley Anderson was on the Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices in 1999 and 2000.
Source: Career section
13.What was the date of E. Riley Anderson's death?
- A.August 10, 2018
- B.August 31, 2006
- C.July 4, 2018correct
- D.January 25, 2018
The biography notes that E. Riley Anderson died on July 4, 2018.
Source: Introduction
14.To which court was E. Riley Anderson appointed on March 2, 1987?
- A.Tennessee Supreme Court
- B.Court of Appealscorrect
- C.Federal District Court
- D.Oak Ridge City Court
E. Riley Anderson was appointed to the Court of Appeals on March 2, 1987.
Source: Career section
15.E. Riley Anderson served as president of which of the following organizations?
- A.American Supreme Court Society
- B.National Judicial College
- C.Tennessee Judicial Council
- D.Tennessee Defense Lawyers Associationcorrect
E. Riley Anderson served as president of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, among other organizations.
Source: Career section
16.Which governor was involved in the judicial selection process during E. Riley Anderson's planned retirement?
- A.Ned McWherter
- B.Lamar Alexander
- C.Bill Haslam
- D.Phil Bredesencorrect
E. Riley Anderson continued his service on an interim basis due to a lack of agreement between Governor Phil Bredesen and the judicial selection commission.
Source: Career section
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