What is happening in the Tennessee Legislature this week? Read Stephanie D. Coleman's summary in this week's Bill Watch.
Bill Watch is a service of the Knoxville Bar Association Legislative Committee. During each week of the legislative session, the KBA will distribute an updated report, through the support of Stephanie D. Coleman of Owings, Wilson & Coleman. The report will indicate progress and recent actions taken on the bills of interest to KBA members. Each week's report will be made available on the KBA Website and News.
The General Sessions Court Judges have established a new local rule regarding Writs of Possession in detainer cases. View the document here.
Knoxville Bar Association Issues Statement on Independence of the Judiciary - March 4, 2021
Today the KBA joined other state and local bar associations to comment about the independence of the judiciary as it relates to HR 23, which was introduced recently in the Tennessee House of Representatives to consider a process to remove Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle from the bench. For the long-term health of the legal profession and the judiciary and to promote public trust and confidence in the courts, the bar must lead the way in responding to unfair criticism of the judiciary and to support judicial independence.
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The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) held its Annual Meeting virtually on Friday, December 11, 2020. The President's gavel was passed from Hanson R. Tipton, a member of the Knoxville law firm of Watson, Roach, Batson & Lauderback, PLC, to Cheryl G. Rice, a civil litigator with Egerton McAfee Armistead & Davis, P.C.
President Tipton thanked his fellow board members for their support of his year and recognized the KBA staff for their dedication to East Tennessee attorneys, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Incoming President Cheryl Rice thanked Mr. Tipton for his service to the Association, which included innovative virtual programming, construction of a Habitat for Humanity house, and regular town halls with court officials. Ms. Rice discussed how her term as President would focus on ways the Association can better serve members' needs to meet the challenges and struggles imposed upon local attorneys in the current moment, trying to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the meeting, the following KBA members were elected as officers for 2021:
President-Elect - Jason H. Long, London Amburn, P.C. Treasurer - Loretta G. Cravens, Cravens Legal Secretary - Catherine E. Shuck, East Tennessee Children's Hospital
The membership elected the following KBA members to the four open positions on the Board of Governors:
Jonathan D. Cooper, Knox Defense Daniel L. Ellis, Disability Rights Tennessee Eric M. Lutton, Knox County Public Defender's Law Office Carlos A. Yunsan, Tennessee Appellate Courts
Dwight E. Tarwater, Paine | Tarwater | Bickers, LLP, 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. Mr. Tarwater has distinguished himself with a long and tremendous career of service to the bar and the community, including serving as General Counsel to Governor Bill Haslam.
Retired Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz was presented with the Judicial Excellence Award. The Award recognizes judges felt by the Association’s Board of Governors to be deserving of special recognition. The award has existed for many years. It has rarely been given.
The Presidents' Award for 2020 was presented to Denise Moretz of Woolf McClane Bright Allen & Carpenter. Ms. Moretz was recognized for her work on the recently published "Planning Ahead: A Guide to Protecting Your Clients' Interests in the Event of Your Disability or Death" to assist lawyers with succession planning. The awards for outstanding writing were presented to Phillip Hampton and William T. Ramsey for their column, which appears in the KBA monthly magazine DICTA. KBA member Nick McCall was recognized for his long-running series "The Last Word" in DICTA.
Amanda T. Tonkin, an attorney with the Social Security Administration, was introduced as President of the Knoxville Barristers, the Young Lawyers Division of the KBA. It was announced that during the elections earlier this week, the following were elected as Barristers Officers: Vice President - Meagan Collver, London Amburn, PC Secretary/Treasurer - Zack Walden, Eldridge & Blakney Members-at-Large - Matt Knable, Law Office of Matthew R. Knable Charles Sharrett, London Amburn, PC It was also announced that Mitchell Panter and Matt Knable, Co-Chairs of the Volunteer Breakfast Committee, were presented with the Barristers' Presidents' Award for 2020.
Researchers at UTC are conducting a study about attorney stress. We have surveyed members of the Chattanooga Bar Association and would love to hear from members of the Knoxville Bar too. The survey will take 15 to 20 minutes. By participating you’ll help us learn more about working in the legal profession so that we can develop helpful resources for managing stress and improving health. You’ll also be entered into a raffle for several $20 Amazon Gift Cards. The survey will close on Friday, March 12, and results will be shared with the KBA membership. To begin the survey, click here: https://attorneystress.questionpro.com. For more information, you can also contact Kristen Black at kristen-j-black@utc.edu.
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