Knoxville Lawyer Mary Beth Maddox to Lead the TBA in 2028-2029

Knoxville lawyer Mary Beth Maddox, a partner with Frantz McConnell & Seymour LLP, has been elected vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA). She will assume the role in June at the TBA’s Annual Convention and is scheduled to serve as president for the 2028–2029 bar year. A Tennessee native, Maddox has practiced law for more than 30 years, focusing on civil litigation, including labor and employment, workers’ compensation and tort matters. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1991 and her law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law in 1994.

Maddox has long been active in the TBA, previously serving on its Board of Governors as associate general counsel and as an East Tennessee governor. She is currently in her third year as the association’s treasurer and has also served two terms as co-chair of the TBA’s Leadership Law (TBALL) program, where she served several years as a Steering Committee member. She received the President’s Award in 2015 for her testimony on workers’ compensation legislation on behalf of the TBA before the General Assembly. Upon completing her year as vice president, Maddox will become president-elect in June 2027 and will assume the presidency the following year.

YLD Elects New Leadership

8th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Zachary Walden of Jacksboro will serve as the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) president in 2028-2029. His election to the post was uncontested. After taking office as vice president at this summer’s TBA Convention, Walden will become president-elect in June 2027 and president in June 2028. A 2013 graduate of East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Walden is currently the youngest trial judge in the state and has served on the criminal and recovery courts since 2022. In 2024, he launched the 8th Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court, expanding support for veterans in Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties. Throughout his career, Walden has held numerous leadership positions, including membership on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Technology Oversight Committee and as chair of the Tennessee Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee. He also teaches criminal practice skills at Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law. Previously, Walden practiced law in Knoxville at Eldridge & Blakney. He received his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2016. Walden currrently serves as the secretary of the TBA Young Lawyers Division Board as well as the co-chair of the Rural Judicial Fellowship program. He has also been instrumental in the TBA YLD’s Mock Trial program, serving as vice chair, chair and long range planning chair.

See You on the Hill!

The TBA’s 4th Annual Day on the Hill and the Big Shrimp legislative reception will take place March 18 in Nashville. The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. CDT at the Cordell Hull Building with a presentations from TBA’s lobbying team as well as members of the General Assembly. Attendees will have meetings scheduled with various legislators throughout the day, focusing on building relationships, championing TBA’s bills and advocating for eliminating the professional privilege tax. After the day’s meetings, join your fellow attendees, members of the legislature and their staff at Hotel Indigo at 5:30 p.m. for the perennial favorite Big Shrimp legislative reception. Register at tba.org/DayOnTheHill or email govaffairs@tnbar.org with questions.

Legal Access & Regulatory Reform

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Sept. 16, 2025, issued an order soliciting comments from the legal community and the public on seven questions related to regulation of the legal profession. The court said the goal of the effort is to lower barriers to entry into the profession and ensure availability of affordable legal services in the state while ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Comments should address whether the court should (1) modify, reduce or eliminate reliance on American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation in setting minimum educational requirements for lawyers; (2) consider alternatives to ABA accreditation; (3) consider adopting alternative pathways for admission to the bar; (4) consider modifying requirements for admission for those licensed in other states; and (5) modify, reduce or eliminate regulations prohibiting non-lawyer ownership of law firms or fee sharing with non-lawyers. Feedback also is sought on (6) whether there are less costly alternatives to the traditional three-year law school curriculum and (7) whether any legal services currently provided by lawyers could be competently provided by paraprofessionals. The TBA in January and February hosted virtual town halls to educate and gather feedback from the legal community on each of the seven areas of possible regulatory changes to the legal profession. Comments should include docket No. ADM2025-01403 and be submitted by March 16, to Clerk James Hivner, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219 or by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov.

New Office Construction Update

Renovations continue at the TBA’s new office building as we prepare a space designed to better serve our members and support the association’s work into the future. Contractor crews have been working hard to reconfigure part of the first floor into a permanent CLE classroom that will double as an event space, as well as build out a kitchen space and storage. These updates reflect a thoughtful investment in the future of the TBA and an important step in creating a welcoming, functional space for our members. We anticipate a late Spring opening and look forward to welcoming you. Watch TBA Today for an announcement soon.

Thank You!

The TBA thanks Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School sophomores Bennett Brock, Michael Mishke, Luka Rumbough and Malone Wilburn for their help cleaning out the attic in the TBA’s new office. They gave up their MLK Day off of school to move down two flights of stairs broken furniture, rugs, filing cabinets and more debris that had been left by previous tenants. We appreciate their help!

2026 State Mock Trial Competition

The 2026 State Mock Trial Competition, produced by the TBA’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD), will take place in Nashville, March 20 and 21. Teams will argue the criminal case of State of Tennessee v. Alex Callahan, which unfolds after a shooting outside an Italian restaurant. This year brings back the 2nd Annual Artist in the Courtroom Competition, which invites student artists to interpret mock trial courtroom scenes during the district competition. Information about the case, the artist competition and volunteer needs can be found at www.tba.org/mocktrial.

Application Open for 2026 TBA Reporters Workshop

Applications are being accepted for the TBA’s 2026 Reporters Workshop through March 16. Sponsored by TBA’s Communications Law Section, the program will be held in person April 24-25 in Nashville. Organizers will select 15 print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting, as well as other timely topics. Journalists interested in attending should apply online before 5 p.m. CDT on March 16. Student journalists also may apply. Class selection will be announced by March 23, and those selected for participation will be notified by email. Tennessee lawyers are encouraged to share this opportunity with members of the media with whom they have relationships.

Write to the Journal

Letters to the editor are welcomed and considered for publication on the basis of timeliness, taste, clarity and space. They should include the author’s name, address and phone number (for verification purposes). Please send your comments to editor@tnbar.org. |||