| Carol Chumney | |
| Office: | Member of the Memphis City Council from the 5th district |
| Term Start: | 2004 |
| Term End: | 2008 |
| Preceded: | John Vergos |
| Succeeded: | Jim Strickland |
| State House2: | Tennessee |
| District2: | 89th |
| Term Start2: | January 8, 1991 |
| Term End2: | October 20, 2003 |
| Preceded2: | Pamela Gaia |
| Succeeded2: | Beverly Marrero |
| Birth Name: | Carolyn Jean Chumney |
| Birth Date: | 13 February 1961 |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Occupation: | Lawyer |
| Alma Mater: | University of Memphis |
| Residence: | Memphis, Tennessee |
Carolyn Jean Chumney (born February 13, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. She served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003. She represented the fifth district (East Memphis and Midtown) on the Memphis, Tennessee City Council from 2004 to 2007. Chumney came in second place in the Democratic primary for Shelby County mayor in 2002,[1] and within 7 points of being elected the first woman Memphis mayor in 2007.[2] Chumney was a leading attorney taking the fight for election security to the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress.[3] She is also the author of "The Arena: One Woman's Story" [Lady Justice Publishing 2021], which has gained national recognition, including First Place At-Large Autobiography, by the National Federation of Press Women. Chumney is now an elected Shelby County Circuit Court Judge (Memphis metropolitan area) and took office on September 1, 2022, after winning the countywide election.
She attended school at:
As a Presidential Scholar, she earned her B.A. in economics and history with honors, magna cum laude, and was student government president (1982–83).
Chumney earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis Law School in 1986, as a Herff Law Scholar. During law school she was the editor-in-chief of the law review.
As a trial attorney, Chumney began her private practice in 1987, at Glankler Brown law firm, where she later became a partner. Later she had her own law office in the White Station Tower. In 2001, she was honored by the Association for Women Attorneys for outstanding achievements in and for the legal profession.
From her election to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1990,[4] over thirteen years Carol rose to various leadership positions, including chair of the House Children & Family Affairs Standing Committee, House Majority Whip, and chair of the Shelby County delegation. She passed the child care reform law as reported in Time magazine, The New York Times, and statewide news publications. She also secured the $200,000 state grant to create the UT Memphis Center for Women's Health. She is now an elected Shelby County Circuit Court Judge (Memphis metropolitan area) and took the countywide office on September 1, 2022.
Chumney has been recognized for her leadership with awards
She created and hosts Tennessee Lookout, a public information show on the Library Channel 18.[5]