The Knoxville Bar Foundation is pleased to recognize twelve esteemed members of Knoxville’s legal community. The Annual Bar Foundation Fellows banquet was set for June 9 but has been postponed due to the pandemic.
Each year the Foundation inducts a new Fellows Class which is less than one percent of the active bar association. The Fellows represent quality men and women practitioners in our community who have distinguished themselves in the practice of law and service. The Foundation's board of directors reviews numerous nominations, and determines the inductees who have demonstrated superior legal skills and high ethical standards and service to the community.
Hon. William T. Ailor Allison Easterday Alexander Loretta G. Cravens Kathryn St. Clair Ellis Mohamed A. Faizer Steven L. Hurdle Rachel P. Hurt Steven D. Lipsey Jay W. Mader Summer H. McMillan Reuben N. Pelot, IV Shelly L. Wilson
The Knoxville Bar Foundation is a not for profit foundation established to improve public awareness of the legal system in Knoxville, the administration of justice and the delivery of legal services through the distribution of its funds.
MEDIA RELEASE
Knoxville Bar Association Offers Online Legal Information during the COVID-19 Pandemic For Immediate Release Contact: Marsha Watson, KBA Executive Director or Tracy Chain, Lawyer Referral & Information Service Administrator (865) 522-6522
The Knoxville Bar Association has established and is regularly updating a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources page on its public website, www.TNLawyerFinder.org.
In accordance with guidelines from the CDC, Governor Bill Lee, the Knox County Health Department, and local governmental bodies, all legal advice clinics previously scheduled for the months of April and May have been cancelled. Going forward, as circumstances permit, rescheduled clinics will be posted on the Upcoming Legal Clinics page of the Knoxville Bar Association’s website, and updated information will be communicated at that time.
In the meantime, individuals with legal questions are encouraged to visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources page at www.TNLawyerFinder.org.
We know that members of the public rely on quality access to appropriate legal services, especially at this time. The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) offers experience, integrity, and a commitment to public service. COVID-19 has caused additional needs in the areas of contract disputes, employment, insurance, housing, court accessibility, estate/probate, medical accessibility, and business, just to name a few. As always, our team remains available by telephone and online request.
Many legal services can be handled remotely. We encourage members of the public who use our service during this time to connect with referred attorneys by telephone and electronically, and encourage our participating attorneys to do the same.
The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service may be reached online at www.TNLawyerFinder.org or by telephone at (865)522-7501 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In light of the current issues with COVID-19, the KBA staff will be working remotely Wednesday, March 18 through Tuesday, March 31. The KBA is open for business and online during normal working hours; however, responses may be slightly delayed. Make sure to check https://www.knoxbar.org/?pg=CourtUpdates often for notices from area courts and government agencies. All in-person CLE programs, meetings, and events have been canceled or moved to a teleconferencing format. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please be safe!
Hon. Greg McMillan, the Presiding Judge of the 6th Judicial District, has requested that the Knoxville Bar Association circulate the Order below. Order ADM-2020-00428 has been issued by the Supreme Court leaving courts open but suspending in-person court proceedings until March 31, 2020. The Order also contains detailed information regarding statutes of limitation and other matters necessary for litigants and attorneys. Judge McMillan will be meeting with the judges, county officials, and court clerks on Monday to discuss how to proceed in order to protect the public’s right to have cases heard and address public health concerns. Further communications will be sent next week, and the judges ask for your patience as they address these matters.
KBA Staff is closely monitoring the developing news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The staff is committed to following the guidelines and recommendations of federal, state and local governments to protect the health and safety of KBA members, program participants, vendor partners, and staff. The University of Tennessee’s Chancellor’s Office has canceled events scheduled at the UT Conference Center between March 16-April 5, 2020 due to the Coronavirus. As a result, the KBA has canceled the Law Practice Today Expo scheduled for Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, 2020. The KBA is extremely disappointed about canceling the Expo, and regrets the inconvenience to its members and sponsors. The KBA relies on Expo sponsors for financial support and for the diverse business services they offer KBA’s local firms to run more effectively and efficiently. Click here to see a list of the 2020 sponsors. Please click here for continued updates and additional resources.
The Knoxville Bar Foundation was established in 1992 to improve the administration of justice, to enhance the public’s understanding of and confidence in the legal system, and to serve the legal profession. The Bar Foundation has awarded grants totaling approximately $ 455,000 for local law-related projects and programs since its inception. This is a meaningful contribution to programs that promote and enable the essence of what we as lawyers seek – liberty and justice for all. Last year the Board of Directors approved fifteen grant requests, totaling $35,000.
In May, 2020, the Knoxville Bar Foundation will again award grants to deserving applicants. The individual grant awards usually are $5,000 or less and the deadline for submitting grant applications is March 2, 2020. Please note that grant funding may not be used for operating costs and endowments. We are excited about this year’s grant program and encourage interested parties and organizations to apply. Please go to www.knoxbar.org to download an application. Submit all grant applications before 5:00 p.m. on March 2, 2020 to Charles Swanson, Chairman, Knoxville Bar Foundation, P.O. Box 2027, Knoxville, Tennessee 37901 or deliver to 505 W. Main Street, Suite 50, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.
DOWNLOAD GRANT APPLICATION
For Immediate Release
January 29, 2020
Contact: Marsha Watson, KBA Executive Director (865) 522-6522
KNOXVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION RELEASES RESULTS OF CANDIDATE MEMBER SURVEY
Knoxville, Tenn.— January 29, 2020 – The Knoxville Bar Association today released the results of its Candidate Member Survey for the contested races related to the justice system on the March 3rd ballot. The Survey asked each member of the Knoxville Bar Association to carefully assess whether the candidates have demonstrated the knowledge, skill, experience, training, education, professional ethics, and temperament to fulfill the duties of the offices to which they aspire. The Survey is designed to provide a measure of guidance to voters who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the candidates.
The Survey asked members to evaluate each candidate’s overall suitability for the offices of Knox County Criminal Court, Division II, Knox County Public Defender, and Knox County Law Director. Every member was asked to rate each candidate according to the following options: Strongly Recommend, Recommend, Do Not Recommend, Strongly Do Not Recommend and, Do Not Know Candidate. If an attorney did not know the candidates’ qualifications or had no opinion, he/she was instructed to mark “do not know candidate.”
“The intent is not to endorse any particular candidate, but rather to inform the public of the opinions of many of the attorneys actively practicing in East Tennessee regarding candidates’ fitness to serve in the judicial and related offices to which they are seeking election. The Knoxville Bar Association is pleased to provide this service to members of our community who have few if any encounters with the court system,” said Knoxville Bar Association President Hanson Tipton. “An informed electorate is vital to the efficient administration of justice.”
The Survey was conducted electronically from January 21 to January 28, 2020. Five hundred and seven KBA members participated in the survey.
Knoxville Bar Association CANDIDATE MEMBER SURVEY January 21 – 28, 2020 Total Ballots Received: 507
Knox Co. Criminal Court, Div II
Strongly Recommend
Recommend
Do Not Recommend
Strongly Do Not Recommend
Do Not Know Candidate
Weighted Average
Kyle A. Hixson
168
102
27
7
203
3.42
Wesley D. Stone
107
103
36
8
253
3.22
Knox Co. Public Defender
Rhonda F. Lee
16
48
56
71
316
2.05
Eric M. Lutton
127
81
9
2
288
3.52
Knox County Law Director
David L. Buuck
118
100
37
31
221
3.07
Cathy Quist Shanks
66
117
99
45
180
2.62
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