As I start to write my first column for the Tennessee Bar Journal, I want to first address why I would want to take on the responsibility of the presidency after I have retired from a long and varied career as a lawyer. In my career, I was blessed to have a variety of cases and have lived in many parts of the country. Throughout my career, I felt the need to try and give back through involvement with the communities I lived in. I believe that as a profession we are called to give back to the places where we live since we have been afforded a wonderful profession doing something we enjoy. For me this undertaking is the perfect way to conclude my professional life. I would advise any young lawyer to get involved with the TBA because the friendships that you develop and the feeling of affecting change are so fulfilling.

I am truly humbled to follow in the footsteps of so many great leaders and hope with their help to have a great year. It is honestly intimidating to follow someone like Tasha Blakney in this job. Tasha initiated many wonderful programs that were so enjoyed by the membership.

So, what are the plans for this bar year? First, I want to keep the great initiatives started by my predecessors. We will continue the successful TBA Book Club. I know all who have participated have found it to be a fun and fascinating program. To kick off this year’s selections, we will start with Beale Street Dynasty by Preston Lauterbach. This book relates the amazing story of African American entrepreneur Robert Church and covers an extraordinary time in Memphis history. Please e-mail me at jpbejb at aol dot com with your ideas for future books!

We will also continue the Women in the Profession Committee and build upon the great work begun by Sherie Edwards during her year as TBA President and continued under Tasha. I want to take the information that we gathered through last year’s survey and focus groups and develop an action plan for implementation.

Since access to justice issues are very near and dear to my heart, I have asked Rachel Moses to head up a new initiative around domestic violence. This idea originated with Legal Aid’s Charlie McDaniel a number of years ago, and I am excited to see this initiative come to fruition. Many times, victims of domestic violence hesitate to leave their abuser when it means leaving behind an animal. Often, pets are used as leverage by the abuser to keep the victim in the relationship. Fifty percent of abuse victims said that they would not consider going to a shelter if they could not take their pets with them. Most shelters do not accept pets, leaving the abused without alternatives. We will seek to establish a network of temporary shelters across the state for those animals until the victim can find another arrangement.

We have already established a new housing subcommittee of the ATJ Committee to address two focal points: evictions and affordable housing. The subcommittee will study the applicable laws for counties covered by the Uniform Residential and Landlord Tenant Act, as well as those counties where that act does not apply, and develop plain language General Sessions forms involving housing issues. The ATJ Committee will also focus on expungement and reentry to allow those who have paid their debt to rebuild meaningful lives.

Another ATJ initiative involves looking at ways to expand the pool of attorneys performing pro bono work in our state. We will continue the Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative begun 16 years ago by the late Andy Branham, myself and Bill Young. I would be remiss if I didn’t note that my involvement with TBA was the result of Andy’s urging and mentoring. I will be forever grateful, and he is greatly missed. I encourage our members to take advantage of the mentoring opportunities afforded by the association. We will be exploring ways to further involve retired attorneys in the TBA, pro bono activities and mentoring younger lawyers. To that end, we will create an older lawyer division to offer increased opportunities for involvement in the association.

On the legislative front, TBA will continue to encourage increases in the compensation paid to attorneys in indigent representation cases and making the receipt of payment in those cases easier and more timely. We will continue our efforts to eliminate the professional privilege tax on our profession.

I am committed to continuing the TBA’s emphasis on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal profession. Our strength lies in our diversity, and it is imperative that we foster an environment where every lawyer feels welcome and supported. By championing diversity, we can create a stronger and more vibrant legal community that reflects the richness of our society. I am pleased to announce that Mary Beard has agreed to serve for another year as our chief diversity officer.

This past year, the TBA took members on a CLE adventure to Havana, Cuba. We are excited to announce our next international trip will be…Ireland! 

I want to invite you to join our Journey to Ireland CLE trip next May 7-13, 2024! We will enjoy four nights in Dublin with options to travel to Belfast and the West Coast of Ireland. We will explore ancient castles, visit landmarks, museums and notable legal institutions, sample local cuisine and beverages and, of course, have notable CLE sessions designed to incorporate the vibrant culture of Ireland.

I am also pleased to announce that CLE Ski is back! This beloved trip is in January 2024 in beautiful Snowmass, Colorado. You can hit the slopes and earn all 15 hours of CLE in one week! For more information you can visit cle.tba.org.

We will continue the Court Square CLE series, bringing quality CLE programs to our membership in a convenient and time effective manner.

In closing, I want to hear from you and your ideas. This is your bar association, and I have found the more you get involved, the more you get out of your membership. In the near future, we will be sending out a survey to determine what you want out of the annual convention. I am asking you to take a few minutes to respond so we can retool and make the convention meaningful and fun for a larger part of the association.

I thank you all for this incredible opportunity and for putting your trust in me. I hope you are as excited about this upcoming year as I am. |||

JIM BARRY is retired from his position as chief counsel for corporate litigation for the International Paper Company. In 2016 he was honored with the Janice M. Holder Award from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services for his contributions in advancing the quality of justice statewide by ensuring the legal system is open and available to all. He is a co-founder of TBA’s Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative and a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law.