Lemons first served as a judge of the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond, having been appointed to that position by Governor George Allen in 1995 while the legislature was out of session.
Upon the retirement of justice A. Christian Compton in 2000, Lemons was elected by the General Assembly to fill the vacancy on the high court.
[5] Lemons was frequently mentioned as a likely candidate for appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
On June 13, 2007, Virginia Senators Jim Webb and John Warner announced that they had recommended Lemons, along with four other candidates, to President George W. Bush for nomination to the Court.
Lemons did not actively seek a nomination for another vacancy on the Fourth Circuit that was filled by President Barack Obama.