YLD, Fellows and DLI meet in conjunction with TBA convention

NASHVILLE, June 22, 2016 — The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (YLD) named new officers and recognized award winners during the TBA’s Annual Convention in Nashville last week. Members of the YLD’s leadership program for law students completed their program, and the Fellows of the YLD elected officers, inducted new members and presented their annual award.

YLD Officers
Rachel Ralston Mancl with the Kingsport law firm of Hunter Smith & Davis was installed as president of the Young Lawyers Division for the 2016-2017 year. A 2007 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Mancl focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, trust and probate law, bankruptcy, business and real estate. She has made public education a focus of her term as president.

Memphis lawyer Ahsaki Baptist, a partner in the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, was named president-elect of the group. She will take office as president in June 2017. Baptist practices primarily in the areas of commercial litigation and commercial real estate. She earned her law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Nashville entertainment lawyer Christian Barker was named vice president of the group. He will take office as president in 2018.

Cookeville lawyer Rachel Moses, who completed two terms of service as president, will serve one additional year as immediate past president. She is a an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands.

Other officers taking office were:

• Secretary: Joshua Dougan, Dougan Law, Jackson
• Treasurer: Ashley Holliday, West Tennessee Legal Services, Jackson
• East Tennessee Governor: Troy Weston, Eldridge & Blakney, Knoxville
• Middle Tennessee Governor: Nina Kumar, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Nashville
• West Tennessee Governor: Nicole Grida, Law Office of Lauren L. Holloway, Memphis

Young lawyers across the state are represented by 14 district representatives. New representatives taking office at the meeting were District 2 Representative Amanda Howard, an attorney with Romer, Lane & Howard in Jamestown and District 8 Representative Sonia Jennings Boss, a solo practioner in Lebanon.

YLD Awards
In addition to electing new officers, the YLD honored a number of young lawyers who worked to improve the practice of law in the state and served the public and the bar during the past year. Outgoing president Rachel Moses presented the President’s Award to Memphis lawyer Amber Floyd and Knoxville lawyer John Rice, who served respectively as chair and vice chair of the YLD Diversity Committee this past year. The pair also oversaw the group’s leadership program for diverse law students and planned a diversity program for all TBA leaders. Floyd serves with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. Rice is with Elmore, Stone & Caffey.

The YLD Public Service Award, which recognizes the best service project organized by a district representative, went to Nashville lawyer and District 9 Representative Cole Rogers for a legal clinic he planned in Madison.

A Special Recognition Award was presented to Nashville lawyer Christian Barker for exceptional service as Public Service Committee chair, Middle Tennessee Governor and Publications Committee liaison during the last year.

Finally, a number of lawyers were named “Stars of the Quarter.” They included:

• Ariel Anthony of Chattanooga for assisting with the Diversity Leadership Institute program
• Ben Conley of Jackson for helping with legal clinics in Paris and Jackson
• Kristen Corn of Franklin for her service as chair of the Mock Trial Committee
• Lauren Curry of Nolensville for a successful legal clinic and membership recruitment in Columbia and helping with a legal clinic in Fairview
• Will Hicky of Nashville for service as the YLD’s first liaison to the TBA Governmental Affairs Committee
• Ashley Holliday of Jackson for outstanding service as YLD treasurer
• Cherrelle Hooper of Gallatin for hosting and accompanying ABA President Paulette President on her visit to Nashville and arranging for her to visit a local Boys & Girls Club
• Holly Mancl of Bristol for organizing an outstanding Wills for Heroes Clinic in Johnson City
• Bryce McKenzie of Sevierville for a successful legal clinic
• Alex McVeagh of Chattanooga for a successful Wills for Heroes clinic
• Judd Taback of Nashville for assisting with the Diversity Leadership Institute program
• Alicia Teubert of Knoxville for assisting with the Diversity Leadership Institute program
• Troy Weston of Knoxville for overseeing the YLD’s first election conducted by electronic voting

Diversity Leadership Institute
Law students participating in the YLD’s sixth annual Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) joined lawyers across the state at the TBA Convention last week in Nashville for a final program, graduation ceremonies and a service project. The group heard presentations on human trafficking and issues in disability law, as well as panel of former DLI members. On Saturday, the group worked at an expungement clinic helping those who have completed their sentences get a clean slate. The clinic was held at the Village Church in Madison. Nashville General Sessions Judge Rachel Bell oversaw the clinic, which served more than 150 people.

Students graduating as part of the 2016 class included:

Duncan School of Law
Kayla Swiney

Nashville School of Law
William Leslie
Jessica Schultz

University of Memphis School of Law
Elizabeth Booker
Lucas Cameron-Vaughn
Kristen Downey
Shelby Smith
Callie Tran

University of Tennessee College of Law
Zachary Campbell
Maria Ale Dalton
Ayanna Freeman
Amanda Hill
Tabitha Johnson

Vanderbilt University Law School
Benjamin Chernow

The DLI is a six-month leadership and mentoring program for Tennessee law students in their second, third or fourth years of study.

YLD Fellows Officers, New Members, Award
The TBA YLD Fellows met during the association’s annual convention in Nashville to elect new officers and induct new members.

Lisa Richter, a child support referee judge in Clarksville, took office as president. Glenn Walter with Lewis Thomason in Knoxville took office as vice president. Danny Van Horn with Butler Snow in Memphis took office as secretary. And Memphis lawyer Bill Haltom was elected treasurer. Columbia attorney and 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge J. Russell Parkes will serve a final year as immediate past president.

The group also inducted 13 new fellows. New members are invited to join the organization based on their involvement with the YLD as young lawyers. Honorary members are invited to join based on their support for the YLD. New members are:

Regular Fellows

• Katrina Atchley Arbogast, Great West Casualty Company, Knoxville
• Kristal Boone, Boone Law, Nashville
• G. Jeff Cherry, Lowery, Lowery & Cherry, Lebanon
• H. Garth Click, Click Law, Springfield
• Marisa Combs, Five Points ICT Inc., White House
• Lisa Ramsey Cole, Lewis Thomason, Nashville
• Sara Hall, St, Jude, Memphis
• Ed Lanquist, Patterson, Nashville
• David McDowell, Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon, Chattanooga
• Nathan Shelby, Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, Nashville

Honorary Fellows

• Stacey Shrader Joslin, former TBA YLD Director, Owensboro, Kentucky
• Justice Roger Page, Tennessee Supreme Court, Jackson
• Dwight Tarwater, Office of Governor Bill Haslam, Nashville

Finally, the Fellows awarded the 2016 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award to Judge Pamela L. Reeves for her service to the profession. Reeves sits on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. She is the first female judge in the district. She also was the first female president of the Tennessee Bar Association. Reeves has made mentoring and leadership development a hallmark of her career, helping younger lawyers succeed and find satisfaction in the practice of law.

The Leech Award is named for former Attorney General William M. Leech and was given to him posthumously in 1997. The TBA Young Lawyers Division Fellows was founded to promote the objectives of the Young Lawyers Division and to encourage young lawyers to be active in the TBA.

The 2016 Tennessee Bar Association Annual Convention was held in conjunction with several other legal organizations, including the Tennessee Judicial Conference, the Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women (TLAW) and the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL). This joint meeting allows legal groups in the state to address common issues and concerns and offers opportunities for additional education, long-range planning, and recognition of attorneys who have performed outstanding legal work and community service.

About the Young Lawyers Division
The YLD serves close to 3,000 young lawyers across the state, providing continuing legal education for new lawyers and opportunities for public service, networking and professional development.