Bernice Donald

Bernice Bouie Donald (born September 17, 1951) is an American lawyer and former federal judge. She served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2011 to 2023. She previously served as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee from 1995 to 2011. In January 2024, she became a member of the law firm of Burch, Porter and Johnson, PLLC.

Biography Donald was born in DeSoto County, Mississippi. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Memphis in 1974 and a Juris Doctor from University of Memphis School of Law in 1979. She was in private practice in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1979 to 1980, then became a staff attorney of the Employment Law & Economic Development Unit, Memphis Area Legal Services, Tennessee in 1980. Donald was an assistant public defender in the Shelby County Public Defender's Office, Tennessee from 1980 to 1982. From 1985 to 1988, she was an adjunct professor at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

After her retirement from the bench, Judge Bernice Bouie Donald joined the law firm of Burch, Porter and Johnson, PLLC.

Judicial career State judicial service Donald was a judge on Tennessee's General Sessions Criminal Court from 1982 to 1988, also teaching as an adjunct professor at Southwest Tennessee Community College from 1984 to 1989. Donald became a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority Alpha Eta Zeta chapter (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1983.

Federal judicial service Bankruptcy court service

From 1988 to 1995, Donald served as a United States bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Tennessee.

District court service

On December 7, 1995, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee vacated by Odell Horton. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 22, 1995, and received her commission on December 26, 1995. The Senate confirmed Donald on September 6, 2011, by a 96–2 vote. She received her commission on September 8, 2011. On September 8, 2022, her successor, Andre Mathis, was confirmed by the Senate. Donald assumed senior status on September 27, 2022, and retired from active service on January 20, 2023.