11 attorneys honored by nation’s highest court

NASHVILLE, December 21, 2004 — The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is pleased to announce that 11 Tennessee attorneys recently were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, Dec. 13 the following attorneys were presented to the court by TBA President and Knoxville attorney Charles Swanson:

Judge Thomas Lee Moore Jr.
Weakley County General Sessions Court, Dresden

Dennis Bruce Francis
Knoxville

Loren Eloise Plemmons
Law Firm of Plemmons & Waterhouse PLLC, Lenior City

Kimberlee Ann Waterhouse
Law Firm of Plemmons & Waterhouse PLLC, Lenior City

Grace Elizabeth Speer
Law Firm of Harold G. & Grace E. Speer, Memphis

Harold G. Speer Jr.
Law Firm of Harold G. & Grace E. Speer, Memphis

Timothy L. Amos, Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Tennessee Bankers Association, Nashville

J. Phillip Jones, Attorney
Phillip Jones Law Office, Nashville

Juliana M. Newton, Counsel to the Chancellor
Davidson County Chancery Court, Nashville

Bruce Stephens Conley
Law Firm of Conley, Campbell, Moss & Smith, Union City

Jimmy Clay Smith
Law Firm of Conley, Campbell, Moss & Smith, Union City

The attorneys participated in a three-day program in Washington, D.C. that included continuing legal education seminars, a tour of the Supreme Court and the swearing in ceremony. The ceremony, which was held in open court, was presided over by Justice Antonin Scalia in the absence of Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

To qualify for admission to the Supreme Court bar, an attorney must present a personal statement, proof that he has been admitted to practice before the highest court in his state for at least three years and a certificate of good standing from that court. In addition, each attorney must be sponsored by two existing members of the Supreme Court bar who can vouch for their moral and professional character. Because of these high standards, less than one percent of the nation's attorneys are admitted to practice before the Supreme Court.