Memphis lawyer Alexander Hall is being presented with the prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing on June 18, during the Tennessee Bar Association's (TBA) annual convention.

The award was established nearly 40 years ago, and is given each year to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article that is published in the Tennessee Bar Journal for the preceding year. Named for Henry, a former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court known for his forthright and clear writing, the purpose of the award is to encourage practicing Tennessee lawyers to write scholarly yet practical articles that will be of maximum benefit to the members of our bar.

This year's winning article is "Place Your Bets: Tennessee's Sports Gaming Act Begins July 1," which was published in the July 2019 issue.

The Joe Henry Award is chosen by a committee made up of the chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court or his designee, deans of some of the state's law schools or their designees -- on a rotating basis -- and the president of the Tennessee Bar Association. This year the judges were:

• Professor Michael Higdon, who served as UT College of Law Dean Melanie Wilson's designee

• Judge Neal McBrayer, who served as Chief Justice Jeff Bivins's designee

• LMU Duncan School of Law Dean Gary Wade

• TBA President Sarah Y. Sheppeard of Knoxville

Hall is an associate attorney at Shuttleworth PLLC in Memphis, where he practices in the areas of civil litigation, contract law, intellectual property and sports gaming law. A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, he has more than a decade of experience in the sports gambling industry. Hall has worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers in developing investments in the gambling and fantasy sports space, and he regularly advises sportsbooks and digital startups on issues related to gambling laws and compliance. In addition to being a featured speaker at continuing legal education programs on sports gaming law, he has contributed to various international publications covering sports betting, including SportsHandle and The Wall Street Journal.

The Tennessee Bar Association was founded in 1881. Its membership represents the entire spectrum of the legal profession in Tennessee and beyond. The TBA is open to all licensed attorneys in good standing, and it is dedicated to enhancing fellowship and professionalism among the members of Tennessee's legal community.