{ "id": "ep1j4ygb5d", "slug": "john-t-fowlkes-jr", "title": "John T. Fowlkes, Jr.", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g", "label": "Surnames F to G", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames F to G", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g", "label": "Surnames F to G", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g" } ] } ], "excerpt": "John T. Fowlkes, Jr., born in 1951, is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge for the Western District of Tennessee until his retirement in January 2026.", "snippet": "John T. Fowlkes, Jr., born in 1951, is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge for the Western District of Tennessee until his retirement in January 2026.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-f-to-g", "markdown": "# John T. Fowlkes, Jr.\n\nJohn Thomas Fowlkes, Jr. (born 1951) is an American jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee until his retirement in January 2026.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) He was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama, receiving his commission in 2012.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) He assumed senior status on September 1, 2022.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) |\n| Confirmed | July 10, 2012, by a vote of 94 to 2[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120408) |\n| Senior status | September 1, 2022[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) |\n| Born | 1951 in Washington, DC[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) |\n| Education | B.A., Valparaiso University, 1975; J.D., University of Denver College of Law (now Sturm College of Law), 1977[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nFowlkes was born in 1951 in Washington, DC.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Valparaiso University](https://www.edgepedia.org/valparaiso-university) in 1975 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from the University of Denver College of Law, now the Sturm College of Law, in 1977.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\n## Legal career\n\nFowlkes began his legal career in 1978 as a law clerk with Memphis Area Legal Services.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) He then served as an assistant public defender in Shelby County, Tennessee, from 1978 to 1979.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) From 1979 to 1989, he was an assistant district attorney general for Shelby County.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\nIn 1989, Fowlkes joined the [United States Attorney](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-attorney)'s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, serving as an assistant United States attorney from 1989 to 2002.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) He held the office's number-two position, first assistant United States attorney, from 1993 to 1997 and again from 2001 to 2002.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\nFowlkes left the United States Attorney's Office in 2002 to become chief administrative officer of Shelby County, a position he held from 2002 to 2007.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) In 2007, he became a judge on the Tennessee Criminal Court for the Thirtieth Judicial District, where he served until 2012.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Barack Obama](https://www.edgepedia.org/barack-obama) nominated Fowlkes to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee on December 16, 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) The Senate confirmed his nomination on July 10, 2012, by a vote of 94 to 2.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120408) He received his commission on August 1, 2012.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021) Fowlkes assumed senior status on September 1, 2022.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n\n## References\n\n1. [FJC Biographical Directory: John Thomas Fowlkes, Jr.](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394021)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, July 10, 2012](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1120408)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames F to G*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"John T. Fowlkes, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[John T. Fowlkes, Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"John T. Fowlkes, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/john-t-fowlkes-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "John T." }