NASHVILLE, June 3, 2026 — U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan with the Eastern District of Tennessee will be honored next week with the 2026 Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award from the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court. The award will be presented at the TBA’s Lawyers Luncheon set for June 12 as part of the group’s Annual Convention in Knoxville.

Varlan will be honored for his long tenure on the bench, including handling many of East Tennessee’s most publicized and significant trials, and exhibiting the highest level of integrity and professionalism in his work. The presentation of the award this year is timely given that Varlan has announced he will take senior status this fall.

In a letter nominating Varlan for the award, six other judges with the Eastern District of Tennessee write that he has handled more than 5,000 civil and more than 3,000 criminal cases, including prosecution of Eric Boyd for the torture murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom; litigation arising from the 2008 TVA coal ash spill; and, following a deadlocked jury, a ruling in favor of a University of Tennessee professor charged with hiding his ties to China and lying to the federal government.

The judges also highlight Varlan’s commitment to being unbiased and fair, patient and thorough, even tempered and even handed, and respectful and courteous. They write that because of these qualities, Varlan is “is universally respected, and appreciated, by attorneys, court staff, and litigants.” They suggest that Varlan’s most significant contribution was the outstanding job he did as chief judge of the district. During that time, they write, he demonstrated selflessness and compassion for his colleagues. Most striking was his decision to end his term as chief judge six months early so his colleague, the late District Judge Pamela Reeves, could become the first female chief judge in the history of the district. Had Varlan served his full term, Reeves would not have been age-eligible to succeed him.

In another letter of support, Varlan’s current and former law clerks write that he “approaches his judicial duties with the utmost care and attention to detail” and exhibits “patience and neutrality, even during the most complicated or emotionally charged hearings.” They also say that the values exhibited in the courtroom are not merely public displays but are fundamental to his personal character. They continue: “The same character Judge Varlan displays in the courtroom carries over to his interactions with personnel within chambers. Just as with all other individuals with whom he interacts, Judge Varlan treats his law clerks, and all other court staff, with respect, appreciation, and kindness, while also holding them to the highest standards.”

In announcing this year’s award recipient, TBA President Heidi Barcus said: “The TBA is pleased to present the 2026 Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award to Judge Thomas A. Varlan. Throughout his judicial service, Judge Varlan has exhibited the ideals embodied in this award, demonstrating character and integrity as well as dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the legal profession. The fact that he served with Judge Reeves and sacrificed his own interests to see her rise to the position of chief judge makes presentation of an award named in her honor all the more poignant.”

About Judge Varlan

Varlan was appointed to the federal bench in 2003 after being confirmed unanimously by the the U.S. Senate. He served as chief justice from 2012-2019. Prior to joining the judiciary, he was a partner in the Knoxville office of Bass, Berry & Sims, law director for the City of Knoxville and in private practice in Atlanta. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1981.

During his judicial career, Varlan has been a member and president of the Hamilton Burnett American Inns of Court in Knoxville; a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policymaking board for the federal court systems; and a member of the 6th Circuit Judicial Council, the governing body responsible for oversight and management of federal courts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. He also has worked in Poland and East Timor to strengthen those judicial systems and has hosted judicial delegations from Serbia and Uzbekistan in Tennessee. As a second-generation Greek-American, Varlan has found joy in presiding over naturalization ceremonies and was instrumental in Knoxville establishing a sister city relationship with Larissa, Greece.

About the Award

The Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award is presented by the TBA and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the highest standards of the legal profession in Tennessee. The award is named in honor of the late Judge Pamela L. Reeves, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the first recipient of the award. Reeves was an active leader in both the American Inns of Court and the TBA, where she was elected the first female president in 1988.

The award recipient is selected by a committee consisting of the TBA President, the TBA President-elect, the president of the Tennessee Judges Conference and the president of the American Inns of Court located in the Grand Division in which the award will be presented. Nashville School of Law Dean and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch is chair the selection committee.

Learn more and see a list of past recipients on the TBA website.

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 American Inns of Court is an international organization that envisions a legal profession and judiciary dedicated to professionalism, ethics, civility and excellence. Its mission is to inspire the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education and mentoring. Tennessee is home to 10 local American Inns of Court located in Chattanooga, Franklin, Jackson, Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville.