Serving every lawyer, every day
What we’ve done for you lately
Larry Wilks, President

Larry Wilks President

Last June, I declared the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) would focus on serving its membership this year while carrying on the important initiatives of my predecessors.

We have sought to reach out and remind all our members that roughly half of our members come from small firms; and that many of our members still come from smaller communities across the state; that our strength is in our diversity of practice type, firm size and geographical location; and, that making it possible for all of us to be better lawyers not only makes the TBA stronger but serves the public interest.

This year the 9,000-members-strong TBA is celebrating its 125th anniversary. We are the largest professional organization in our state. We know that if we don’t remember who we are or how we got here we won’t necessarily be here another 125 years or remain the largest professional organization in our state. With a periodic self-examination and a tune-up we can maximize our chances for fulfilling our mission.

Life comes at you fast and we are already in the home stretch this year. So far so good but it’s critical to finish strong. It’s the old “what have you done for me lately” syndrome. Well, heading down the home stretch I can say this. I am very pleased and very thankful. Why? Let me count the ways. 1) Staff has been great. Led by executive director Allan Ramsaur, they have given all that could be asked and more. Having traveled nationally on your behalf I can assure you our staff is second to none. 2) The Executive Committee and Board of Governors have been extremely engaged. 3) The House of Delegates has informed. 4) The Section and Committee chairs have led. 5) Programs, Operations and Membership committees have been dynamite.

I am so thankful to have Marcy Eason, Buck Lewis and Gail Vaughn Ashworth as future presidents of the TBA. They and Paz Haynes as secretary and Mark Westlake as treasurer along with Susan McGannon, Jackie Dixon and Nancy Miller-Herron have kept your interest paramount in each Executive Committee decision that we have made.

So just what has happened so far that this brief space will allow?

Education: TennBarU is executing our resolve to be the state’s premier CLE leader. Numbers are up, revenues are ahead of projection, offerings are more varied. On site and online education is simply more effective. Angela Morie Nystrom, Bill Ramsey and Therese Byrne are hitting on all cylinders.

Communications: The Tennessee Bar Journal is stronger than ever, and its Editorial Board expanded. Suzanne Robertson and the team create a monthly chronicle of in-depth stories to humor, inform and enlighten, which consistently wins awards and high praise everywhere I go.

TBA Today: On your computer screen every weeknight with the latest legal news and opinions that you need. Barry Kolar and the TBA Today staff blast the day in review to keep us in touch.

TBA Link: Computer age information and communication available to all our members 24/7. Howard Vogel, thanks for the vision.

Sections: Monthly conference calls have led to greater information sharing and sparked more teamwork leading to better CLE, more section action, and enhanced newsletters.

Legislative Advocacy: As you read this, Steve Cobb and Allan Ramsaur continue their extraordinary efforts to inform and assist our lawmakers and policy makers through their lobbying efforts on the “Hill” to protect the Constitution, defend liberty, pursue justice and preserve accountability.

Member benefits: Thanks to Jackie Dixon and her Membership Committee, every TBA member, for the first time in history, has free access to computer legal research in all 50 states through “Fastcase.” Can I say more? If you use the discount programs obtained at Office Depot and FedEx your TBA membership is practically free. That’s right, it pays for itself. Almost all of us need office supplies and delivery services.

Additional programs through First Tennessee Bank and Geico car insurance result in even more discounts and savings. Your TBA dues are genuinely a bargain that pays great returns.

Don’t forget this when you write your check at renewal time. You’ll read about more of the TBA’s efforts and the folks behind them in the next issue.

Serving every lawyer, every day means serving our lawyers, our courts, our people, and our future with the complete lawyer, leader and citizen. Let’s finish strong and carry the momentum gained into future years.

See you at the serving every lawyer, everyday place — the TBA.