TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 2, 2020

In two articles published last week, the Administrative Office of the Courts explores the 90-year history and ongoing impact of African American bar associations in Tennessee. The historical review focuses on the trailblazing work of former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr., Judge Benjamin Hooks and Judge Bernice B. Donald; the formation of Tennessee’s first African-American bar association, the  Napier-Looby Bar Association; and the many challenges faced by early African American attorneys. The second piece focuses on the more recent impact of Tennessee’s African American bar associations, including the creation of the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) and the rise of diversity-focused committees and conferences among other bar associations in the state.