Tennessee does not publish a single list of Tennessee assistant district attorneys by district. To find an ADA, you work through the office that employs them: use the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference lookup to identify the right district, then check that office’s website or call it, pull the prosecutor’s name from court records if you’re tracking a specific case, and verify the license through the Board of Professional Responsibility. A public records request is the fallback when none of that produces what you need.
Find the Right District Attorney’s Office
Start at the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TDAGC) website, tndagc.org. The “Find your District Attorney” tool lets you select your county or city and directs you to the correct office.1Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Home This step matters because Tennessee’s 32 judicial districts don’t follow a one-county-per-district pattern. Some cover a single large county; others stretch across several rural counties.
The TDAGC does not supervise individual prosecutors or maintain a statewide staff roster. It’s an administrative and training body for the district attorneys and their offices.1Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Home Once the tool identifies your district, the search continues at the office itself.
Check the Individual DA Office’s Website or Call
Many district attorney offices publish their own staff directories. Detail varies. Some list every ADA with phone numbers, email addresses, and assignment areas such as domestic violence, drug crimes, or juvenile matters. Others show only the elected District Attorney General and a handful of division chiefs.
When the website is thin, call the main office. Say which case or type of matter you’re asking about, and the receptionist can usually connect you with the assigned ADA or confirm the name. Some offices restrict direct contact for prosecutors handling sensitive cases, but they’ll generally confirm who is assigned and relay a message.
Identify the ADA on a Specific Case
If your goal is the prosecutor on a particular case rather than a general roster, work from the court record. Tennessee Case Finder at tennesseecasefinder.com is the public inquiry system for Circuit Court Clerk offices and provides 24/7 access to cases filed in circuit and general sessions civil courts. Searching by case number or party name often surfaces the ADA’s name on filings and docket entries.
Criminal cases in the larger jurisdictions are frequently searchable through county portals. Davidson County (Nashville), Knox County (Knoxville), and Hamilton County (Chattanooga) each maintain their own systems. For smaller or rural counties without online access, calling the circuit court clerk with the case number is the most reliable route.
Verify a Name Through the Board of Professional Responsibility
Once you have a name, the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) online attorney directory confirms it. The directory covers every lawyer licensed in the state, prosecutors included, and returns the full name, office address, license status, and any public disciplinary actions.2Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee. Online Tennessee Attorney Directory
License status categories include Active, Suspended, Disbarred, Inactive, and several others.2Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee. Online Tennessee Attorney Directory The directory won’t tell you someone’s job title or which office employs them, so treat it as a confirmation resource rather than a way to discover who works where. Only public discipline appears; private reprimands stay confidential.
Public Records Request as a Fallback
When the published sources come up short, Tennessee’s Public Records Act gives you a right to request the information. Names, salaries, and office assignments of government employees, including ADAs, are generally public records.3Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-503 – Records Open to Public Inspection
Send the request to the district attorney’s office that employs the ADA. If the records can’t be produced immediately, the custodian has seven business days to provide them, deny the request in writing with a legal basis, or give a timeline for production.3Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-503 – Records Open to Public Inspection Confidential material must be redacted, but the rest of the record still has to be provided. Inspecting records in person is free; agencies can charge for copies, generally up to $0.15 per page for black-and-white and up to $0.50 for color on standard paper. If a request is denied, informal mediation through the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel is available with both sides’ consent.
If You’re a Crime Victim, the Prosecutor Contacts You
Victims of crime in Tennessee generally don’t need to hunt for the ADA. Article I, Section 35 of the Tennessee Constitution and Tennessee Code Section 40-38-111 require the district attorney to notify victims of their rights and of upcoming proceedings.4Justia. Tennessee Code 40-38-111 – Notifying Victim of Rights
After a grand jury returns an indictment for a violent crime, the DA must provide dates for all future trial court proceedings. For nonviolent crimes, the office must notify the victim of their rights and provide a phone number for information about upcoming proceedings.4Justia. Tennessee Code 40-38-111 – Notifying Victim of Rights If you haven’t heard from anyone, call the DA’s office and ask for the victim-witness coordinator. Every sizable office has one, and that channel is often faster than reaching the assigned ADA cold.
How Tennessee’s Prosecutorial System Is Organized
Understanding the structure makes the search faster. Tennessee has 32 judicial districts, each headed by an elected District Attorney General serving an eight-year term. The 32nd district is the newest, created in 2022. Each District Attorney General appoints their own ADAs, and the number of authorized positions varies by district based on caseload and population. The first judicial district, for example, is authorized nine ADA positions and one criminal investigator.5Justia. Tennessee Code 16-2-506 – Establishment of Judicial Districts Larger urban districts like Shelby County (Memphis) and Davidson County (Nashville) have considerably more.
Within an office, ADAs are typically assigned by case type: general sessions (misdemeanors and preliminary hearings), grand jury, felony trial, domestic violence, drug prosecution, and juvenile matters. Some offices also run specialized units for child abuse, vehicular homicide, or gang-related crimes. When you call asking for the ADA on a case, telling the staff the case type helps them route you to the right division. All ADAs must hold an active Tennessee law license, which is why the BPR directory works as a verification step for any name you turn up.