Nashville, May 31, 2023 — The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected Sue Mathews as the 2023 CASA Volunteer of the Year. Mathews is a volunteer with CASA of Maury County and has served as a court-appointed special advocate for 15 years. In nominating Mathews for the award, CASA of Maury County Executive Director Jessica Ballard said that Mathews regularly “goes above and beyond” to support, mentor and advocate for the cases she is assigned, and “embodies what it means to be an effective CASA by making sure the children’s needs are being met and their voices are heard.”

Mathews dedicates countless hours doing home visits, going to court hearings and attending visitations with parents. She also takes on special requests, such as agreeing to work with one teen as she began a therapy program. Mathews’ commitment to her clients was on display recently when she helped a young teen secure approval to be homeschooled. The teen, who had been released from a drug treatment facility, was concerned she might relapse if sent to an alternative school with other troubled youth. Mathews worked with the foster mother, who was willing and qualified to homeschool the girl, to secure state approval for the arrangement. As Ballard said, Mathews “walks alongside these children as they go through some of the most difficult times of their lives.”

Mathews was previously a CASA in Knox County and was named CASA of the Year by that program in 2019. She also has served as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, her church and as a member of the local Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

The CASA Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented at the YLD Board’s annual dinner on June 16 in Knoxville as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention. CASA’s mission is to train and support court-appointed volunteers who then advocate for abused and neglected children who have come to the attention of the courts.

The TBA 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.