Janet Vest Hardin

Biography
Janet Vest Hardin was appointed Sessions Judge on August 27 2020 by Governor Bill Lee and formally appointed by the Washington County Commission on October 26, 2020 to finish the term of the late Judge James Nidiffer.

Prior to her appointment, Judge Hardin worked as a defense attorney with Gene Scott after retiring from the District Attorney's office in 2019. There, she served as Assistant District Attorney for the 1st Judicial District from 1988 to 2019 and the 6th Judicial District from 1987 to 1988.

She has also held roles as an adjunct professor at East Tennessee State University and at Ritchie, Fels and Dillard. Hardin earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University.