Offices and lawyers honored at luncheon ceremony in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Jan. 25, 2013 -- The Tennessee Bar Association on Saturday recognized 12 law firms in the state for adopting over the past year formal pro bono policies calling on employees to do more for Tennesseans who cannot afford legal representation. They join 50 other firms and corporate legal offices that have adopted such policies.

The 12 firms were honored at a public service luncheon held each year as part of the association's Leadership Conference. The luncheon featured award winners in several categories and a keynote address by Deborah Taylor Tate, a Tennessee lawyer and former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.

TBA President Jackie Dixon of Nashville presented awards to the following:

• Bart Durham Injury Law (Nashville)
• Blankenship & Blankenship (Murfreesboro)
• Caterpillar Financial Services (Nashville)
• Dickinson Wright PLLC (Nashville)
• Divorce Incorporated (Jackson)
• Frost Brown Todd (Nashville)
• Law Office of Blair Durham (Nashville)
• Law Office of John P. Doyle (Murfreesboro)
• Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (Knoxville)
• Loeb & Loeb LLP (Nashville)
• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (Nashville)
• Weatherly, McNally & Dixon PLC (Nashville)

The Pro Bono Policy Initiative is one element of a multi-faceted TBA campaign to educate the legal profession and the public on the need for increased free legal services in the state, and find new ways for lawyers to participate in pro bono service.

Speaking at the luncheon, Dixon congratulated the award winners, saying they had gone above and beyond in their commitment to provide access to justice for those in need. She also commented on the importance of the awards, saying they provide a unique opportunity to recognize the public service commitment of Tennessee lawyers and celebrate the many ways lawyers are reducing barriers to legal assistance in the state. She concluded with a challenge to fellow lawyers in the room to do more, saying the event was also "a reminder of the vast unmet legal needs of the underserved in our state."