Brian Lea, a 2006 graduate from Union University, was sworn in as a Judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, at the City of Memphis Council Chambers, Monday.

Judge Lea, who was nominated by President Donald J. Trump, January 5, 2026, was sworn in by the Hon. Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Supreme Court of the United States.

Judge Lea worked for Justice Thomas as a Law Clerk in 2011-2012.

Filling the seat vacated by John Thomas Fowlkes, Jr., Judge Lea was confirmed by the Senate on February 5, 2026, and commission issued on March 2, 2026.

Born in Montreal, Canada in 1983, (father Charlie played professional baseball and was a pitcher for the Montreal Expos), Judge Lea graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2009, after receiving his B.A. from Union University.

Besides working for Associate Justice Thomas, Judge Lea worked as a Law Clerk for the Hon. Edward Carnes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2009-2010.

He entered private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, 2010-2011, 2012-2014, 2017-2025.

After working for Justice Thomas, Judge Lea was a visiting assistant professor, at the University of Georgia School of Law, 2015-2017, and he also served as Deputy associate attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice, 2025-2026.

(PHOTO: Judge Brian Lea is sworn in by the Hon. Clarence Thomas Associate Justice Supreme Court of the United States)