Posted on: Jan 18, 2019
ADM2019000108 – The Court is considering amending Rule 7 of the Tennessee Supreme Court Rules. The Court solicits written comments on the proposal from judges, lawyers, bar associations, members of the public, and any other interested parties. The deadline for submitting written comments is February 15, 2019.
Posted on: Jan 14, 2019
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amanda Tonkin at (561) 315-2029
Knoxville Bar Association Barristers announce High School Mock Trial Competition
KNOXVILLE, TN January 15, 2019 - 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 February. With high school budget cuts around the country increasing, and available funding for civic engagement decreasing, Mock Trial is an excellent way for High School students in the aforementioned districts to develop a fuller understanding of our justice system and experience the legal process first hand. Many students have been known to choose a legal career based on their mock trial experiences; several Barrister’s members are formal mock trial competitors.
During the Regional High School Mock Trial competition, students will act as lawyers and witnesses, as both the prosecution and the defense, and act out a mock trial. This years’ case is a murder case, in which the victim’s former roommate and best friend stands trial for murder in the second degree.
This year’s Knoxville Regional competition will take place at the Knoxville City County Building on February 22nd and February 23rd. The final round will take place on February 24th at the Duncan School of Law at LMU.
The specific times are as follows:
ROUND ONE - Friday February 22nd, 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. ROUND TWO - Saturday February 23rd, 8:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. ROUND THREE – Saturday, February 23rd, 10:30 a.m. - 1p.m. ROUND FOUR - Saturday, February 23rd , 1:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. FINAL ROUND - Sunday February 24th [TBD]
The winners of the competition will advance to the State-wide tournament in Nashville March 22-23.
The dedicated volunteers, including East Tennessee law school students, attorneys, and judges, will serve as the bailiffs, scoring judges, and presiding judges over this annual competition. The competition is free to students to enter; coaches simply need to fill out the rosters and coordinating forms and submit them to knoxhsmt@gmail.com.
Participation in this wonderful program is not as high as it once was, and as young lawyers, we want to do everything we can to get the word out about this unique, beneficial, and all around fun opportunity for our East Tennessee high school students.
*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
For more information about the Barristers, please contact Barristers President Mikel Towe at (865) 546-4646 or Marsha S. Watson, Executive Director of the Knoxville Bar Association at (865) 522-6522.
Posted on: Jan 13, 2019
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 $ 420,000 for local law related projects and programs since its inception. Per capita this is a real 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 ten grant requests, totaling $25,000.
In May, 2019, 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 1, 2019. 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. Submit all grant applications before 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2019 to Reggie Keaton, Chairman, Knoxville Bar Foundation, P.O. Box 39, Knoxville, Tennessee 37901 or deliver to 550 W. Main Street, Suite 500, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902.
DOWNLOAD GRANT APPLICATION
Posted on: Nov 7, 2018
ADMIN2018-01895 - Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 33 established the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program. The Court has determined that, in order to foster this Program, it is necessary to amend Rule 33 to allow for the establishment of a supporting organization under the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act. Comment deadline is Monday, November 19, 2018.
Posted on: Sep 4, 2018
A special invitation is extended to those serving in the legal and law profession to join Bishop Richard Stika who will celebrate the Annual Diocesan Red Mass on Sunday, October 7 at 11:00 am in the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at 711 S. Northshore Dr. in Knoxville. As a time honored tradition of the Catholic Church, the Red Mass is celebrated for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students, and government officials, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice. Please direct questions to Paul Simoneau at psimoneau@dioknox.org or 865-862-5753. The Red Mass represents a special time to reflect upon the God-given responsibility of all in the legal profession. The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245. In certain localities of France, the Red Mass was celebrated in honor of Saint Ives, the Patron Saint of Lawyers. From there, it spread to most European countries. The tradition began in England in 1310 during the reign of Edward II. St. Thomas More, an English lawyer, statesman and councilor to Henry VIII, who was martyred in 1532, was declared by St. John Paul II to be the “Heavenly Patron of Statesmen and Politicians.” The first Red Mass in the United States was held in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Detroit, Michigan and has been celebrated annually since 1912. In New York City, a Red Mass was first held in 1928 at the Church of St. Andrew, near the courthouses of Foley Square, celebrated by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, who strongly advocated and buttressed the legal community's part in evangelization.
