American Inns of Court Professionalism Award Bestowed Posthumously on Leo Bearman Jr. - Articles

All Content


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 28, 2022

The American Inns of Court on Saturday posthumously awarded the Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics to former Memphis attorney Leo Bearman Jr. Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch Jr. — now dean of the Nashville School of Law — presented the award at the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Bearman’s son Edward Bearman, who practices at the Law Office of Edward M. Bearman, received the award on behalf of his father. He was joined at the event by his brother David Bearman, a shareholder at Baker, Donelson; his father’s long-time secretary Judy Birchler; firm shareholder Kristine Roberts; and Judge Thomas Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The award recognizes exemplary service to the legal profession in the areas of professionalism, civility and ethics. Bearman practiced law for 60 years in Tennessee primarily with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz. He was a past president of the Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association and recipient of that group’s Lawyers Lawyer Award for professionalism.