Jahari M. Dowdy, a criminal defense lawyer with 20 years of experience, is a candidate for the judicial vacancy in Shelby County Criminal Court Division 1, a position previously held by the recently retired Judge Paula Skahan.
Dowdy, the owner and president of her law firm, J. M. Dowdy PLLC, since 2005, has built a practice focused primarily on state and federal criminal defense. According to her application, state criminal cases constitute 60% of her work, with federal criminal law and family law each making up 20%.
A graduate of Southern University Law Center, Dowdy has been licensed to practice in Tennessee since 2005. She is active in the community as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and has received awards for community service and legal practice. Although this is her first time applying for an appointed judgeship, she previously considered running for a judicial seat before it was eliminated by the legislature.
“My experience and demeanor can be an additional asset in service to the community from the bench,” Dowdy wrote in her application. “I am passionate about the system working correctly… I am confident I can be that fair and impartial judge, who keeps a clear head and calm demeanor.”
Her application also discloses two public censures from the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. A public censure is an official rebuke that does not include suspension from legal practice.
The first censure, issued in October 2019, was for failing to place a client’s funds in escrow as ordered in a guardianship case and for poor communication. Dowdy stated in her application that communication broke down after her client relocated without providing new contact information.
A second censure followed in January 2021, stemming from an office error where a check from her trust account was issued before the client’s funds had been deposited, causing it to be returned for insufficient funds. The board also noted that she later commingled personal funds with her trust account to cover a replacement check.
Additionally, Dowdy revealed that she is currently under investigation by the board following a complaint from a former client. She described the client as having “mental health and drug issues” and asserts that the complaint contains “several false statements.”
Dowdy maintains that these incidents do not detract from her qualifications. “After practicing criminal law consistently for 20 years, two public censures are not indicative of my ability to be a fair and impartial judge,” she stated.
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