TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Laura Labenberg on Feb 15, 2026

The TBA YLD has selected six fellows for its Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) program. They are: Johnny Byrd, Rachel Carpenter, Laila Irigoyen and Alana Perez from Belmont University College of Law; Sarah Harper from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; and Savannah Beaty from University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. These law students will have the opportunity to spend six weeks of the summer as a judicial law clerk in a legal community in rural Tennessee. They also will attend the TBA's Annual Convention in June. Six judges will be paired with the students to help them gain practical legal experience and foster connections in underserved areas. Thank you to this year's participating judges: Circuit Court Judge Caleb Bayless in Columbia, Chancellor Jerri Bryant in Athens, General Sessions Judge Lee Bussart in Lewisburg, Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes in Dyersburg, Circuit Court Judge Blake Neill in Somerville, and Criminal Court Judge Zachary Walden in Jacksboro. Thanks also to YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers and YLD Secretary Judge Zack Walden who co-chair the Rural Judicial Fellowship program.