Kolar Leaves the TBA After More Than 20 Years

After more than two decades with the Tennessee Bar Association, Assistant Executive Director Barry Kolar transitioned out of the organization earlier this year. He will remain active in Nashville’s non-profit community, continuing to serve with Sister Cities of Nashville, the YMCA, Urban Bicycle Food Ministry and other organizations. TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright says, “Barry is an integral part of the TBA — I think of him as embedded in the DNA of the organization. He has given so much of his time and talent over the years to support the leadership, the members and the TBA’s mission. He will be missed and we are grateful to him for his outstanding service to the TBA.” Former Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson agreed, saying, “Barry’s impact on the TBA is immeasurable. He has been such a critical component to TBA’s growth and success, and he is a nationally respected bar professional given his many leadership positions within the National Association of Bar Executives.” During his time at the TBA, Kolar has been involved in the launch of TBA Today and TBA Leadership Law, the expansion of online CLE programming and a number of other programs. Look for a feature article on Kolar’s impact on the TBA in a future issue of the Journal!

9 TBA Members Admitted to Practice
Before U.S. Supreme Court

From left: Randy Russell, Sean Aiello, Billy Leslie, Ted Goodman, TBA President Jim Barry, Rebekah Spotts, Charles Frazier, Ashley Jefferson, TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Ken Bryant

Nine attorneys (pictured above) from Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 38th annual TBA Academy on Dec. 5, 2023. TBA President Jim Barry moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Attorneys admitted before the high court were Sean Aiello, Kenneth “Ken” Bryant, Charles Frazier, Theodore “Ted” Goodman, Ashley Jefferson, Billy Leslie, Randall “Randy” Russell, Rebekah Spotts and Sheree Wright.

2024 TBALL Class Chosen

Thirty-six attorneys from across the state have been selected for the TBA’s 2024 Leadership Law program. Now in its 21st year, Leadership Law is designed to equip Tennessee lawyers with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders in their profession and local communities. The class will meet for its first session in January and spend the next six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service.

Congratulations to these new members:

Raven Austin, USAO — Eastern District of Tennessee; Anthony Bills, Wiseman Ashworth Trauger; Jason Bobo, Goggin Warehousing LLC; Brian Bush, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office; Amanda Bradley, Hartzog & Silva PLLC; Jerry Bridenbaugh, Bridenbaugh Law Firm; Kisha Cheeks, Cheeks Rucker Firm PLLC; William H. Clower, William H. Clower PC; Beau Creson, Sims Funks PLC; AnCharlene Davis, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, City of Johnson Police Department; Samuel Fargotstein, Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston PC; Jerice Le’Tay Glanton, Davidson County General Sessions Night Court; Aubrey Gulledge, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, and Berkowitz PC; Lorne Hiller, Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP; Callie K. Hinson, Neal & Harwell PLC; Christopher Ingram Jr., Shelby County Government — General Sessions Criminal Court; April Knox, Asurion; Brittany Lavalle, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference; Ryan Lee, K&L Gates LLP; Elizabeth Leiserson, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands; William Leslie, Farrar Bates Berexa; Paige Lyle, FordHarrison; Lachina McKinney, Shelby County Government; Kezia Mills, Senior Associate Counsel for the State of Tennessee; Patrick Morrison, Tennessee Department of Treasury; Raven Mosley-Otey, Nashville Defenders; Princess Rogers, District Attorney’s Office of Nashville; Jessica Schultz, Lyda Law Firm; Courtney A. Smith, State of Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance; Marshall W. Stair, Lewis Thomason; Caitlin Ann Torney, Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Jessica Van Dyke, Tennessee Innocence Project; Patrick Alan Wagner, Wagner & Weeks PLLC; Jamiel Wiggins, HCA Healthcare; Danielle Woods, Woods Law Firm PLLC; Julie Yriart, Nashville Hispanic Bar Association.

For more information about the TBALL program, visit www.tba.org/TBALL or contact Paul Burch at pburch@tnbar.org.

YLD Diversity Leadership Institute Announces 2024 Class

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected members for its 2024 Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) class. This year’s invited participants represent all six law schools across the state. Congratulations to Abbie Dierbeck from Belmont University College of Law; Amanda Reyes and Jasmine Steele from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; Imani Bruce, Christina Mulliford, Ian Reddick and Anthony Self from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; Charlena Fuqua, Jasmine Patton, Amanda Harrington Sargent, Zaia Thombre and Diane Tress from Nashville School of Law; Daniel Mendoza and Trinity Sandifer from the University of Tennessee College of Law; and Ashley Fox from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Class members will embark on a six-month leadership and mentoring program designed to develop skills to succeed as a law student and attorney, empower students to contribute more to the legal community, match students to mentors in a diverse variety of practice areas, and build relationships among students of diverse backgrounds.

Justice Roger Page Retiring

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page announced that he will retire at the end of August. Page was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2016 and served as chief justice from 2021 to 2023. During that time, he helped secure substantial funding to implement enterprise e-filing for the court system, improving efficiency and data collection and analysis. Page also promoted access to justice and pro bono service, and encouraged greater transparency and efficiency in the judiciary with live streaming of appellate arguments. “Justice Page has made a huge contribution to Tennessee’s justice system, first as a trial judge handling both civil and criminal cases, then on the Court of Criminal Appeals and now on the Supreme Court,” Chief Justice Holly Kirby said. “He is thoughtful and deliberate, and he brings wisdom and common sense to the serious issues we must decide.”

TBA Book Club Is Back with ‘Beale Street Dynasty’

TBA President Jim Barry announced during his installation at the June convention that the next installment of the TBA’s book club would be Preston Lauterbach’s Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis, which is set between Reconstruction and Prohibition and focuses on the rise and fall of Beale Street. It is told through the life of the south’s first Black millionaire, an ex-slave who built an underworld dynasty in the booming river town and created a space for Black culture to flourish.

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