The Barrister’s, the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Knoxville Bar Association, annually hosts the Regional High School Mock Trial Competition for Districts 2, 3, and 4* every year. The experiences garnered through high school mock trial programs have inspired many young competitors to pursue a legal career; unsurprisingly, several Barristers members are former mock trial competitors. High school budget cuts around the country continue to increase, diminishing available funding for civic engagement courses and extracurriculars. Mock Trial is an excellent way for high school students to develop a deeper understanding of the nation’s legal system and to experience the legal process firsthand.
The regional competition provides a venue for students to compete against one another. Each team's competitors will act as plaintiff and defense lawyers and witnesses as they make their cases to a panel of legal professionals and law students in front of a typically standing-room-only gallery. This year's case is a civil matter involving Kat McNable, who was thrown from his electric scooter when he encountered the sand spilling from Defendant’s beach-themed party wagon. The new problem, rules, and other information can be found online at https://www.tba.org/?pg=tennessee-high-school-mock-trial-0.
The 2023 regional competition is slated to occur at the Knoxville City County Building on Friday, February 24th (Round 1) and Saturday, February 25th (Rounds 2 - 4). The Regional Championship (Round 5) will be held February 26th in the Business Courtroom at LMU’s Duncan School of Law.
The specific times are as follows:
Friday, February 24 Round 1 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 25 Round 2 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.; Round 3 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; Round 4 1:45 p.m. – 4 :00 p.m.
Sunday, February 26 Round 5 1:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dedicated volunteers, comprised of East Tennessee law school students, attorneys, and judges, serve as the bailiffs, scoring judges, and presiding judges over this wonderful annual competition. The winners of this regional competition will advance to the State-wide tournament in Nashville, held March 17-18, 2023. The regional competition is free for students to enter; their coaches need only fill out the rosters and coordinating forms and submit them to knoxhsmt@gmail.com.
Volunteer participation in this wonderful program is lower than it once was. As young lawyers, our goal is to do everything we can to spread the word about this unique, beneficial, and all-around fun opportunity for our East Tennessee high school students. If you are interested and volunteering, please sign up at https://memcentral.wufoo.com/forms/mdbyy3q1labt0z/.
To learn more about the Barristers Regional Mock Trial Competition, contact Isaac Westling and Bridget Pyman at knoxhsmt@gmail.com.
For more information about the Barristers, please get in touch with Barristers President Hon. Zack Walden at (423) 907-7503 or Marsha S. Watson, Executive Director of the Knoxville Bar Association, at (865) 522-6522.
*Districts include:
District 2: Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Fentress, Grainger, Jefferson, Scott, Sevier and Union
District 3: Knox
District 4: Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Loudon, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea and Roane
KBA Annual Meeting & Elections December 9, 2022 View the Annual Meeting PowerPoint Annual Meeting Packet View the Photo Gallery
The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) held its Annual Meeting on Friday, December 9, 2022. The President's gavel was passed from Jason H. Long, a member of Lewis Thomason, P.C., to Loretta G. Cravens of Cravens Legal.
President Long thanked his fellow board members for their support and recognized the KBA staff for their dedication to East Tennessee attorneys. Incoming President Loretta Cravens thanked Mr. Long for his service to the Association, which included conducting judicial candidate member surveys and releasing a DEI Strategic Inclusion Plan. The Association celebrated a return to in-person events with law students, attorneys, and judges gathering at the first-ever Bench-Bar Celebration, a Wellness Conference, and the award-winning Law Practice Today Expo.
In her remarks, Ms. Cravens thanked the members for their continued committed service to the KBA and the people of our community in need of legal services. She announced that during 2023, the KBA would place an emphasis on servant leadership, civility in public discourse, and equipping members with the tools, resources, and professional development needed to serve their clients. She emphasized the importance of attorney involvement in their local bar association’s activities and the need to mentor newly admitted attorneys and law students who are going to be the providers of legal services to our community in the future.
During the meeting, the following KBA members were elected as officers for 2023:
President-Elect - Carlos A. Yunsan, Tennessee Appellate Courts Treasurer – Jonathan D. Cooper, Knox Defense Secretary – Rachel Park Hurt, Arnett, Draper & Hagood
The membership elected the following KBA members to the four open positions on the Board of Governors: T. Mitchell Panter, Lewis Thomason, P.C. Samantha Parris, Law Office of Samantha Parris Courtney Epps Read, Watson Roach Batson & Lauderback Hon. E. Jerome Melson, Knox Co. Circuit Court, Division I
Elizabeth B. Ford was presented the KBA's highest award, the prestigious Governors' Award, which is given annually to a lawyer whose peers believe has brought distinction and honor to the legal profession. Ms. Ford has distinguished herself with a long and tremendous career of service to the bar and the community, including serving as the Federal Defender for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Hon. Steven W. Sword was presented with the Judicial Excellence Award. The award was created in 2022 to recognize a judge felt by the Association to represent the very best in a judicial officer.
The President’s Award for 2022 was presented to Brooklyn Sawyers Belk for her work as Chair of the Strategic Inclusion Plan subcommittee of the KBA’s Diversity in the Profession Committee. The award for outstanding writing was presented to John E. Eldridge for his series of articles “Lesson Learned: Reflections from a Retiring Lawyer,” which appeared in the January through October issues of the KBA monthly magazine DICTA.
It was announced that Hon. Zachary Walden, Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge, became President of the Knoxville Barristers, the Young Lawyers Division of the KBA, at the elections on December 7. The following were elected as Barristers Officers: Charles S.J. Sharett, Vice President; Jimmy Snodgrass, Secretary/Treasurer; and Matt Knable and Isaac Westling, Members-at-Large.
It was also announced that Grant Williamson and Mariel Bough, Co-Chairs of the Diversity Committee, were presented with the Barristers' Presidents' Award for 2022.
No. ADM2022-01449
ORDER
On November 21, 2022, the Supreme Court issued an order for public comment on the proposed changes to the petition filed by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. The petition ask the Court to amend Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 6, governing admission of attorneys, and Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, governing licensing of attorneys. The Board states in its petition that the proposed amendments “reflect changes to processes adopted during the pandemic that positively impact the licensing and admissions process.” The Board further states that “[t]he requested amendments include recommendations regarding the changing nature of the practice of law, including recommendations regarding remote legal education and how ‘active practice of law’ is counted by the Board.” In addition, the Board states that as a result of administering the Uniform Bar Examination since February 2019, “the Board recommends changes to some of the processes and references to the bar examination in Tennessee.
The Court hereby publishes the Tennessee Board of Law Examiner’s petition for public comment and solicits written comments on the proposed amendment from judges, lawyers, bar associations, members of the public, and all interested parties. The deadline for submitting written comments is January 20, 2023. Written comments should reference the docket number above and may be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to: James Hivner, Clerk RE: Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31(14)(g) 100 Supreme Court Building 401 7th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219-1407.
No. ADM2022-01538
On November 1, 2022, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission (“ADRC”) filed a petition asking this Court to consider adopting an amendment to Rule 31(14)(g) to increase the number of course hours from twelve to sixteen for family mediators who wish to obtain the Specifically Trained in Domestic Violence Issues designation.
The Court hereby publishes the ADRC’s petition for public comment and solicits written comments on the proposed amendment from judges, lawyers, bar associations, members of the public, and all interested parties. The deadline for submitting written comments is January 17, 2023. Written comments should reference the docket number above and may be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to: James Hivner, Clerk RE: Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31(14)(g) 100 Supreme Court Building 401 7th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219-1407.
The Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. at the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building. At the end of the meeting, Loretta Cravens will be sworn in as KBA President.
The Nominating Committee for the Officers and Board of Governors of the Knoxville Bar Association for the upcoming year is comprised of Loretta Cravens, Chair, Ursula Bailey, Magistrate Robin Gunn, Ian Hennessey, Sarah Keith, James Stovall and Jason Lambert. The Committee, having met, recommends that the following, all of whom are members of the Knoxville Bar Association, be placed in nomination at the Annual Meeting:
President-Elect Carlos A. Yunsan
Treasurer Jonathan D. Cooper
Secretary Rachel Park Hurt
Three-Year Terms (Vote for 3):
Jacob Spencer Fair Chelsea C. Moore T. Mitchell Panter Samantha Parris Justin W. Pruitt Courtney Epps Read
Government/Public Sector Position: Hon. E. Jerome Melson, Knox Co. Circuit Court, Div. I
According to Article VI, Section 1, of the KBA By-Laws: "Nominations may also be made from the floor during the Annual Meeting by any member in good standing."
Pursuant to the Bylaws change approved at the Annual Meeting in 1996, members are permitted to vote by absentee ballot. The provisions are included at the bottom of this notice.
To participate in the Annual Meeting, members must register on the KBA website before 5 p.m. on December 8. All judges have been asked to delay court until 10:00 a.m. on the morning of December 9, 2022.
Register on the event page.
Download the meeting notice here.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS - VOTING IN THE KBA ELECTIONS
Any member in good standing who personally comes to the offices of the Knoxville Bar Association during regular business hours on any of the ten (10) working days immediately preceding the day of the Annual Meeting will be permitted to vote. The member must first file a written form making oath that he or she will not be in town or otherwise be unable to attend the Annual Meeting. Then the member will be permitted to cast an absentee ballot for such officer or board positions as may be contested. KBA Office Regular Business Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 10 Working Days Prior to the Annual Meeting: November 23 - December 8, 2022
The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) is pleased to announce the release of an update to the Domestic Violence Handbook.
In 1997, the KBA Board of Governors determined that a handbook of local resources would be valuable to victims of domestic violence. The KBA Women in the Law Committee volunteered to develop and distribute copies to the local shelters and agencies who assisted victims of family violence. Later that year, the committee published a 62-page document titled "Domestic Violence: We Can Live Without It. Rights and Options Available Under the Law."
The Knoxville Bar Association gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the many volunteers who have contributed to this handbook over the last 25 years. The Domestic Violence Handbook would not have been possible without the leadership and commitment of the KBA’s Access to Justice Committee, staff at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, and students of the University of Tennessee College of Law. We want to recognize and thank Knoxville attorneys Zach Arnold, Rebecca Eshbaugh, Adam Russell, LMU Duncan School of Law student Brandy Brogdon, Community Mediation Center Executive Director Jacqueline Kittrell, and Community Mediation Center Lead Trainer Jennifer Comiskey who have significantly contributed to recent thorough updates.
The Domestic Violence Handbook is available for download at www.knoxbar.org.
The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) can connect members of the public with a qualified attorney who is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and can meet their legal needs with skill and care. The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service may be reached online at www.knoxbar.org/lawyerfinder or by telephone at (865) 522-7501.
The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an Order today amending TSC Rule 21 eliminating the cap on distance learning CLE hours. The effect is that Tennessee attorneys can earn all fifteen of their CLE hours online.
VIEW THE ORDER
The Knoxville Barristers Hunger and Poverty Relief Committee would like to invite members to participate in this year’s canned food & fund drive, which benefits Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Second Harvest Food Bank secures and distributes an average of 22 million pounds of food and grocery products annually through a network of more than 630+ partnering nonprofit organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and schools.
If your firm would like to participate in this year’s drive, please use the link below to create your team by November 2:
https://virtualfooddrive.secondharvestetn.org/a/a61aa181189fe1c3706f5637c2fab1928ef4f30c Rules of the Competition
Anyone can win this year’s friendly competition! The winner will be determined by the most meals per employee so that both the weight of the donated food and the monetary donations are included in the calculations for the final standings.
After November 2, you may contribute to the Knoxville Barristers Food & Fund Drive, even if you are unable to sign up as a firm or organization. If you have questions, please contact Bridgette Fly, Programs & Communications Coordinator.
No. ADM2022-01198
The Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice & Procedure annually presents recommendations to the Court to amend the Tennessee Rules of Appellate, Civil, Criminal, and Juvenile Procedure and the Tennessee Rules of Evidence. With its meeting on June 10, 2022, the Advisory Commission completed its 2021-2022 term, and the Commission thereafter transmitted its recommendations to the Court.
The Court hereby solicits written comments from the bench, the bar, and the public concerning the Advisory Commission’s recommended amendments set out in Appendix I (proposed amendments to the Rules of Appellate Procedure, Evidence, Civil Procedure, and Criminal Procedure) to this order. The deadline for submitting written comments is December 2, 2022. Written comments may either be submitted by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or by mail addressed to:
James Hivner, Clerk Re: 2023 Rules Package 100 Supreme Court Building 401 7th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219-1407
and should reference the docket number set out above. The Clerk shall provide a copy of this order to LexisNexis and to Thomson Reuters. In addition, the order shall be posted on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s website.
The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) is pleased to announce the release of an update to the “Legal Resource Guide – Finding Legal Assistance in Knoxville,” a directory of legal service and information providers in our community. This 21-page resource includes information about government agencies, nonprofits, pro bono organizations, and others who help to ensure that all citizens have equal access to justice.
The Legal Resource Guide is compiled from information gathered by the Knoxville Bar Association staff from the agencies and offices listed therein. The KBA is grateful for the assistance of the many offices who responded to our requests for updated information, and their generosity in sharing information about their respective organizations with the public.
The Legal Resource Guide is available for online viewing or download from the KBA website at www.knoxbar.org/LRG. The full array of information and services provided to the public by the KBA is available at www.knoxbar.org/legalhelp.
We know that members of the public rely on quality access to appropriate legal services. The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) can connect members of the public with a qualified attorney who is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association and can meet their legal needs with skill and care. The Knoxville Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service may be reached online at www.knoxbar.org/lawyerfinder or by telephone at (865) 522-7501.
.jpg){kind=logo}
