It’s been nine looong years since I crowned then-Judge Holly Kirby with the honorific of “World’s Most Awesome Judge.” I’m just speculating here but having that honor on her resume probably elevated her to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Just sayin’.

This honor is reserved for appellate judges who flash a little sarcasm or a tongue-in-cheek comment that makes the reader smile. It’s to recognize those who go beyond the call of duty.

I never thought it would take this long to find another worthy recipient. But we finally have one, and that is Judge Steven Stafford. And get this—he earned this honor not from the opinion itself but from this one-paragraph summary that precedes the opinion. Bonus points!

Aristotle once explained that “it is possible to fail in many ways … while to succeed is possible in only one way[.]” With some notable exceptions, in order for an issue to be proper on appeal, success depends on the following requirements: (1) that an issue be properly raised in the trial court; and (2) that the issue be properly raised on appeal. Of the three arguments Appellants presented in this appeal, none meets both of the above requirements, though they all fail in different respects. As a result, we affirm the decision of the trial court and award Appellee attorney’s fees for defending against a frivolous appeal.

I don’t know if it’s because I majored in philosophy and studied ancient philosophy with a great professor, but he had me at “Aristotle.”

I also have reason to believe that Judge Stafford reads this blog. He once called me to ask permission to use the meme from this post in a presentation he was giving. Did that factor into the decision to award him this honor? Absolutely not very much!

Judge Stafford, welcome to this prestigious and elite society where you will be greeted with open arms by former honorees Judge Frank Clement, Jr. and Justice Holly Kirby. Congratulations!

In re Conservatorship of Osborn (Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section, November 5, 2021).

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