Rob Philyaw
Age: 48
Occupation: Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge
Residence: Signal Mountain
Years lived in Hamilton County: 13
Family: Married, two children
Education: B.S. and M.B.A. from Christian Brothers University; J.D. from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis; attended the National Judicial College in Reno, Nev., and the Tennessee Judicial Academy.
Previous Public Office Experience: Juvenile Court Judge of Hamilton County, May 1, 2013-present; former city judge of Graysville, Tenn.
Church or Civic Involvement: Active member of Signal Mountain Baptist Church. Served on board of the Founders’ Fund, board of governors of the Federal Bar Association, and Legislative Committee of the Municipal Judges Association. Currently board member of Mountain Education Foundation and the Access to Justice Committee of the Tennessee Bar Association. Member of the Chattanooga Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Judicial Conference and the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Law Judges.
Achievements: Served as editor-in-chief, Tennessee Journal of Practice & Procedure; received Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award while in law school. Led the juvenile court through improvement processes and implemented a Youth Peer Court and Hamilton County’s first Juvenile Drug Court.
What is the biggest challenge facing the office you are seeking, and how would you address it?
While I have a dedicated staff of just over 100 professionals, I realize that the court can’t deliver all the services needed. The juvenile justice system and the child welfare system includes all of the public and private entities that service youth, who are equipped to address specific needs of each family. I know and realize what an awesome responsibility the juvenile judge has because the juvenile court sits at the intersection of juvenile justice, youth success and community safety, and as the traffic cop, we hold the best hope of connecting everyone who can help meet the needs of youth and families.
Why should voters choose you?
I’ve been your juvenile judge since May 1 of last year. It’s been a busy 15 months. I don’t believe in change for the sake of change, but I do believe, and know from experience, that we should look at things with fresh eyes and new perspectives occasionally. With that approach, we have met with many stakeholders: staff, law enforcement, service providers, attorneys, school leadership and others, and we have made a few changes that we hope will help us deliver the best service we can to the people of Hamilton County, and to the children that come under the court’s provisions. Attorneys may and will question my legal analysis from time to time, litigants may question my reasoning, but nobody is going to question my work ethic, and I hope nobody will ever question my heart.