TBA Announces 23rd TBALL Class

The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) recently announced that 34 attorneys from across the state have been selected for its 2026 Leadership Law program.

Now in its 23rd year, TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) is designed to equip Tennessee lawyers with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders in their profession and local communities. The class will meet for its first session in January, and then spend the next six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service. Class members are:

Chris Bellamy, Fisher & Phillips — Nashville
Madison Biggs, Nashville Metro Public Defender’s Office — Nashville
Wyatt Boston, Boston, Holt & Durham — Lawrenceburg
Shelby Carroll, Parks Bryant & Snyder — Columbia
Tyler Caviness, City of Knoxville Municipal Court — Knoxville
Seth Cline, Collins Legal/Tract Title — Nashville
Nancy Cogar, Samples Jennings Clem & Fields — Chattanooga
Megan Duthie, Broadway Electric Service Company — Knoxville
Jenaé Easterly, State of Tennessee Public Defender’s Office — Knoxville
Johnika Everhart, Geeter Law Office — Chattanooga
Chantley Frazier, Office of the District Attorney General for Nashville — Nashville
Jay Harbison, Sherrard Roe Voight & Harbison — Nashville
Jack Heflin, Evans Petree — Memphis
Sarah Ingalls, Thompson Burton — Nashville
Rachael Kapperman, Hamilton County Clerk & Master’s Office — Chattanooga
Courtney Keehan, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel — Chattanooga
Kerry Krauch, West Tennessee Legal Services — Germantown
Eric McEnerney, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare — Memphis
Thomas Mihalczo, Law Offices of John Day — Brentwood
Jeffrey Moore, Hackett & Maldonado — Memphis
Geoffrey Morris, Butler Snow — Memphis
Katheryn Ogle, Burks & Ogle — Knoxville
Courtney Orr, Tennessee Attorney General & Reporter — Nashville
Janice Parmar, Nashville Hispanic Bar Association — Nashville
Noah Patton, Attorney at Law — Tazewell
Allison Porter, UBS — Nashville
Tabitha Robinson, Nashville Electric Service — Nashville
Haynes Russell, Pentecost, Glenn & Tilly — Jackson
Nathan Sanders, Womble Bond Dickinson — Nashville
Amber Vargas, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands — Cookeville
Bailey Walden, Rainey, Kizer Reviere & Bell — Memphis
Devon Williamson, DevonLaw — Nashville
Ronda Webb, State of Tennessee Administrative Law Judge — Nashville
Emily Wright, Wright & Wright — Livingston

TBA YLD Selects 2026 DLI Class

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected members for the 2026 Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) class. Starting in January, class members will embark on a six-month leadership and networking program designed to develop skills to succeed as law students and attorneys, build relationships among students of diverse backgrounds, and encourage involvement in the TBA and the legal community. Congratulations to Sara Ali-Amghaiab and Carole Rizkallah from Belmont University College of Law; Naimad Delgado, Sierra Dennis, Charleston “Charlie” Pritchett, Cayla Scott and Carlee Sullins from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; Ronal Bueso, Marilyn Harrison-Bates and Cecilee Tinajero from Nashville School of Law; Abigail James from University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; and Dimend Little from University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Special thanks to DLI Co-Chairs and Nashville attorneys Morgan Hanna and John Murphy for their work preparing for this new class.

12 Sworn in to Practice Before U.S. Supreme Court

Admittees and guests on a tour of the U.S. Capitol, from left: Charles “Chip” Dawson Jr., Stuart Burkhalter, Michael Kuebler, Judge Lee Bussart, Bernadette Welch, Louisa Davis, Jackie Kuebler, Stefanie Bowen, TBA President Heidi Barcus, Lisa Jeter, Aileen Dizon, TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright. Admittees not pictured: Paige Bernick, Orlando Dizon, Chad Cardwell, Stephanie Celeda, Brandon Morrow, and Aaron Chapman.

Twelve attorneys from Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 39th annual TBA Academy on Dec. 1, 2025. TBA President Heidi Barcus moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Attorneys admitted before the high court were Nashville attorney Paige Bernick; Knoxville lawyer Stefanie Bowen; Nashville attorney Stuart Burkhalter; Memphis lawyer Chad Cardwell; Nashville attorney Stephanie Celada; Morristown lawyer Aaron Chapman; Lewisburg attorney Louisa Davis; Pelham, Alabama lawyer Charles “Chip” Dawson Jr.; Bellair, Texas attorney Orlando Dizon; Chattanooga lawyer Michael Kuebler; Knoxville attorney Brandon Morrow, and Nashville lawyer Bernadette Welch.

TBA Programs Win 2 Awards

Senior Professional Development Coordinator Jarod Word (left) and Assistant Executive Director Lanny Brown were on hand to accept the awards. Word is the TBA staff liason to the Criminal Justice section.

Two TBA programs were named the best in the state by the Tennessee Society of Association Executives (TNSAE) at a luncheon and awards ceremony in Franklin in December. The TBA’s indigent representation education campaign won in the “Associations Impacting Tennessee” category, which recognizes programs that provide community assistance or respond to a community need. Over the course of six months, the TBA launched an intensive campaign to educate lawmakers and the legal community about a new approach to providing free legal services to the indigent. The effort resulted in the General Assembly adopting a new system to improve representation for needy Tennesseans. The TBA also won in the “Best Continuing Education Program” category for its Murder Mystery CLE. The program, sponsored by the Criminal Justice Section, blended education and entertainment in a truly innovative way by immersing participants in a 1920s investigation and using real Tennessee criminal laws to solve a fictional case. Held in person in May 2025, it delivered hands-on learning, collaboration and engagement.

Winston Law to Name Leadership Institute for Judge Reeves

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law announced in its Fall 2025 newsletter that it will rename the Institute for Professional Leadership in honor of the late Judge Pamela L. Reeves. A 1979 graduate of the law school, Reeves was the first woman to serve as both district judge and chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Prior to joining the bench, she was respected mediator in private practice and served as TBA president from 1998-1999. According to the school, the renaming is being made possible through the generosity of the Larry Wilks Distinguished Practitioner in Residence George “Buck” T. Lewis and his wife Malinda. Lewis is a co-founder of the institute. A dedication ceremony will be held in the spring with support from Reeves’ husband and Knoxville lawyer Charles Swanson. Lewis and Swanson also are former TBA presidents.

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