Bernice Donald

HON. BERNICE B. DONALD has served as Judge of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee since January 1996. She previously served as Judge of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee and General Sessions Criminal Court. She received her law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law where she has served as an adjunct faculty member. She also serves as faculty for the Federal Judicial Center and the National Judicial College. Judge Donald is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center. In 1996, Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Donald to the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. She is extremely active in the American, Tennessee, and Memphis Bar Associations, serving in vital leadership roles in key committees. She is a former member of the Board of Governors and the House of Delegates of the ABA, and serves on the Board of Editors of the American Bar Association Journal. She currently serves on the Council of the Litigation Section.

Judge Donald has lectured and written extensively on various legal topics, including, “Fraud Imputation Under Section 523(a)(2)(A): Is A Partner Liable for Wrongdoing by the Partnership,” 24 Memphis State University Law Review 651 (Summer 1994); “The Dischargeability of Property Settlement Hold Harmless Agreements in Bankruptcy: An Overview of Section 523(a)(15),” 31 Family Law Quarterly 409 (Fall 1997); and “A Comparative Justice Project - United States, German and China Trial Demonstration,” Judges Journal (Fall 2001).

Judge Donald has served as President of the National Association of Women Judges and the Association of Women Attorneys. She has chaired the Memphis Diversity Institute and the Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the legal profession.

Judge Donald has been the recipient of over 100 awards for professional, civic, and community activities, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Memphis.

Judge Donald can be reached by phone at (901) 495-1299 and her email address is Bernice_Donald@tnwd.uscourts.gov.