Nashville attorney and former state legislator Steve Cobb has added his name today to the growing list of Tennessee Supreme Court hopefuls. Joining him is Memphis attorney George “Buck” Lewis.

Cobb served in the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 80’s and also taught at Tennessee State University. Currently in private practice, he was president of the Nashville Bar Association in 1992.

Lewis, an attorney in the Memphis offices of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, and Berkowitz, once clerked for former State Supreme Court Justice Frank Drowota. In 1998, he applied to be considered Attorney General for the state, but was beat out for that position by current AG Paul Summers.

Court of Appeals Judge Frank Clement of Nashville, J. Houston Gordon of Covington, Court of Criminal Appeals Judge J.C. McLin of Memphis, Circuit Court Judge Kelly Thomas Jr. of Maryville, D. Bruce Shine of Kingsport, 12th Judicial District Public Defender Phillip Condra of Whitwell, and Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Gary R. Wade of Sevierville are the other applicants in the hunt to fill vacancies left by the retirements of Justices A. A. Birch and E. Riley Anderson.

The Judicial Selection Commission has set a deadline of tomorrow for candidates to file applications for the first vacancy, open to lawyers anywhere in the state. The panel will send three nominees to Gov. Phil Bredesen; the governor's appointment will determine from which two grand divisions of the state lawyers may apply for the second position.

No more than two of the five Supreme Court justices can come from any one of the three grand divisions – West, Middle and East Tennessee.