Memphis Attorney Recognized for Public Service with 2024 Wiltshire Award - Articles

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Memphis Attorney Recognized for Public Service with 2024 Wiltshire Award

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 9, 2024

NASHVILLE, May 9, 2024 — Memphis-based Assistant Federal Public Defender Tyrone Paylor has been named the 2024 Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year by the Tennessee Bar Association. The award recognizes an attorney who has provided dedicated and outstanding representation to an indigent client in either a civil or criminal case.

Headshot of Tyrone PaylorPaylor works in the Western District of Tennessee’s Memphis office and over the past 15 years has earned a reputation as a strong advocate for his clients and their families.

“He has continually dedicated his career to the representation of folks who are amongst the lowest socio-economic class in Tennessee,” former Federal Public Defender Brian Mounce says of Paylor.

That dedication comes in part from a personal situation. While Paylor was in college, a family member was involved in a crime and the entire family struggled with understanding the criminal justice system. That experience led him to pursue a career in the law. “If you start to chip away at the rights of a few people, eventually it could be everyone’s rights,” Paylor says. “Most people don’t think about what we do until they need us.”

Paylor also serves as a mentor to younger attorneys. “Tyrone’s insights have helped many attorneys in their approach to client recidivism, rehabilitation and pursuing justice,” Mounce says of Paylor.

The Wiltshire award will be presented during a Public Service Breakfast June 13 in Memphis as part of the TBA Annual Convention.

The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is the largest professional association in Tennessee with nearly 14,000 members. Founded in 1881, the TBA represents the entire spectrum of the legal profession in Tennessee and beyond, and is dedicated to enhancing fellowship and professionalism among the members of Tennessee’s legal community.