--- title: "Diane K. Vescovo | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/diane-k-vescovo-9556" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Diane K. Vescovo U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee - State: Tennessee - Role: Magistrate - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, appointed on June 15, 1995, and serving three consecutive eight‐year terms until her retirement in May 2020 - She then practiced law with her father, Lloyd C. Kirkland, Jr., for several years, joined International Paper Company as in‐house litigation counsel in 1987, and subsequently became a partner at Wolff, Ardis, P.C - The first woman appointed as a federal magistrate judge in the Western District of Tennessee - Notable: First female federal magistrate judge in the Western District of Tennessee ### Education ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, W.D. Tennessee, 1995-present - She held the role of Chief Magistrate Judge from November 2014 until her retirement. - Born in 1955, Vescovo earned her B.A. with highest honors from the University of Virginia in 1977 and her J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1980, where she held the role of Editor‐in‐Chief of the University of Memphis Law Review - After law school, she clerked for Hon. - Co‐chaired the Memphis Area Legal Services Campaign for Equal Justice - She was active in professional and community organizations, including the Federal Magistrate Judges Association, Memphis Bar Association, and the Association for Women Attorneys, and was recognized with the Marion Griffin‐Frances Loring Award for outstanding achievement in the legal profession ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media coverage and recording Scope: statewide Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 30 allows media coverage of public judicial proceedings subject to the presiding judge's control and requires written media requests at least two business days before the proceeding unless waived. Evidence excerpt: Requests by representatives of the media for such coverage must be made in writing to the presiding judge not less than two (2) business days before the proceeding is scheduled to begin. [Rule 30: Media Guidelines](https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/rules/supreme-court-rules/rule-30-media-guidelines) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording restrictions Scope: statewide Tennessee Rule 30 prohibits media coverage of jury selection, jurors, closed proceedings, and certain minor or juvenile-court participants. Evidence excerpt: Media coverage of jury selection is prohibited. [Rule 30: Media Guidelines](https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/rules/supreme-court-rules/rule-30-media-guidelines) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote technology Scope: statewide Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 55 permits teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other technology for court proceedings at the discretion of the trial or appellate court. Evidence excerpt: The use of teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology to conduct court proceedings or other court business remotely is permissible at the discretion of the trial or appellate court. [Rule 55: Use of Technology for Court Proceedings](https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/rules/supreme-court-rules/rule-55-use-technology-court-proceedings) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9556/diane-k-vescovo/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9556/diane-k-vescovo/) - [U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9556/diane-k-vescovo/) - [Rule 30: Media Guidelines](https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/rules/supreme-court-rules/rule-30-media-guidelines) - [Rule 55: Use of Technology for Court Proceedings](https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/rules/supreme-court-rules/rule-55-use-technology-court-proceedings) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9556/diane-k-vescovo/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/diane-k-vescovo-9556", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/diane-k-vescovo-9556", "name": "Diane K. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.