NASHVILLE, June 2, 2025 — The 2025 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award will be presented to 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge and Chancellor David Veile later this month by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Named for former Attorney General William M. Leech Jr., the award is given each year to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community.

In selecting Veile for the award, Fellows President Michelle Greenway Sellers said, “I cannot think of a more deserving attorney to receive the TBA YLD Fellows William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award than my friend and colleague, Judge David Veile. Judge Veile truly exemplifies the values embodied in the Leech Award. He is a past president of the TBA YLD, a TBA Board of Governors member, an extremely supportive TBA YLD volunteer and a devoted community leader. Judge Veile generously gives of his time as a mentor to young lawyers, speaks at legal and community events, and volunteers at TBA YLD events such as the TBA YLD Mock Trial competition. He has spent his entire career giving back to the Tennessee legal community and to the Middle Tennessee communities he serves. The Fellows are honored to award Judge David Veile the 2025 TBA YLD Fellows William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award.” The award will be presented at the TBA’s Annual Convention in Franklin on June 13 during the Lawyers Luncheon.

Veile, a Nashville native, served as a police officer and sergeant with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for seven years. While an officer, he attended the Nashville School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 2004. In 2005, he began practicing law, first handling civil and domestic matters and later focusing on criminal defense. In 2024, he was elected to serve as circuit court judge and chancellor for Division III of the 21st Judicial District, which serves Williamson County.

Veile has been involved in TBA leadership since 2006, when he was first elected to serve on the YLD Board. Over the years he served as a district representative, chair of the Wills for Heroes Committee, vice president and then president of the group from 2012-2013. After concluding his service to the YLD, Veile continued to serve as both a district governor and grand division governor on the TBA Board of Governors from 2013 to 2025. As a member of that board, he chaired the Membership and Operations committees. He also served as chair of the TBA’s Criminal Justice Section and was a member of the TBA Leadership Law Class of 2012. He was named a fellow of the TBA YLD in 2014.

Veile’s contributions to the state’s legal community also include being appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (2019 to 2024) and serving two terms as chair of the commission. He also has been active in the Williamson County Bar Association, serving as president from 2019-2020, and in the American Bar Association, serving as a member of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Leadership Academy and being named an American Bar Foundation fellow in 2013.

His contributions to the local community include serving on several nonprofit boards, including the Nashville Youth Hockey League, Habitat for Humanity and the 21st District Recovery Court.

The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is the largest professional association in Tennessee with nearly 14,000 members. Founded in 1881, the TBA represents the entire spectrum of the legal profession in Tennessee and beyond and is dedicated to enhancing fellowship and professionalism among the members of Tennessee’s legal community.

The TBA Young Lawyer Division (YLD) provides continuing legal education opportunities uniquely designed for new attorneys. It also organizes a host of professional development programs and public service projects for attorneys to give back to their communities. Any member of the TBA who is under 36 years of age or within their first 10 years of practice is automatically a member of the division. The Fellows of the Young Lawyer Division is comprised for former YLD leaders who remain committed to the mission of the group.