The TBALL Alumni Association cordially invites you to meet members of the 2013 TBALL class and mingle with fellow TBALL alums at any of the following receptions.  For more information, download the invitation. Please RSVP with Brittany Sims as soon as possible.

• Bass Berry & Sims
Knoxville, TN
Monday, Nov. 5
5:30pm-7:30pm

• Baker Donelson
Memphis, TN
Thursday, Nov. 8
5:30pm-7:30pm

• Bass Berry & Sims
Nashville, TN
Monday, Nov. 12
5:30pm-7:30pm

• Evans Harrison Hackett
Chattanooga, TN
Tuesday, Nov. 13
5:30pm-7:30pm

Special thanks to the firms and sponsors who have offered their facilities and support to make these receptions possible.

The 2nd Annual TBALL Alumni Retreat (TBALL2) will be held at Fall Creek Falls State Park Thursday, Jan. 24, through Friday, Jan. 25. Although the group was  not able to reserve Montgomery Bell State Park for this event, it will return there in 2014. At Fall Creek Falls, you can still expect to enjoy the hospitality suite, interesting and thought provoking CLE, and, of course, the Catfish Buffet of Love! Please RSVP with Brittany Sims by Dec.1.

The TBA Leadership Law Class of 2013 has been selected. The names of the members will be announced by mid November. Stay tuned to learn more about the 10th anniversay class!

The purpose of TBALL is “to serve the legal profession by equipping participants with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders in the profession and in the community at large.”  The fruits of the program are evident throughout section and committee leadership.  TBALL is also well represented on The Board of Governors for 2012-2013.  Alum serving on the BOG Executive Committee include Jackie Dixon, President (2004); Cindy Wyrick, President-Elect (2006); Jonathan Steen, Vice-President (2004); Danny Van Horn, Past President (2007) Jason Pannu, Secretary (2011); Sherie Edwards, Treasurer (2010); and Programs Chair James Crumlin (2006).  Others serving as Governors are Jason Long (2005), Tasha Blakney (2005), Chris Varner (2005), Dan Berexa (2006), Kim Helper (2007), Andrew Sellers (2004), Michelle Sellers (2005), Jason Creasy (2010), and David Veile (2012).

TBALL Alum serving on the House of Delegates include Tim Householder (2010), Alicia Oliver (2004), Bridget Willhite (2010), and Bryan Williams (2007).  It is clear that TBALL produces leaders that are willing to serve the Bar.  If you are interested in becoming more involved, please contact a member of the Board and let your interests be known. 

The next Newsletter will highlight alum who are active in the community.  Please email the editor at sheriee@svmic.com with information about how you are serving the community.

Curtis Bowe (2012) was chosen by his Leadership Law class as the first recipient of the Larry Dean Wilks Leadership Award.  This award, created in honor of the late former TBA president and Leadership Law chair, recognizes the person who ‘exhibited exceptional leadership qualities that enhanced the Leadership Law experience for all class members.”  Curtis is the head of Bowe & Associates PLLC in Chattanooga.

Martha Boyd (2006) recently joined the Baker, Donelson firm where she focuses on employment law, with a particular emphasis on government contracting and ERISA litigation.  She can be contacted at mboyd@bakerdonelson.com. 

Mark Chalos (2007) has co-authored a book, Litigating International Torts in U.S. Courts, recently published by Thomson Reuters West.  The book is a practical resource for lawyers and judges handling civil litigation involving international parties.  It is available through Westlaw.

Sherie Edwards (2010) received her M.B.A. from the Owen Graduate School of Business at Vanderbilt University on August 3.  She was also recently named to the Leadership Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Small Law Department section.

Amy Farrar (TBALL 2011) started her own law firm with Mary Beth Hagan in June of 2012.  Hagan & Farrar, PLLC is the first woman-owned law firm in Murfreesboro, and is located on the Square in Historic Downtown.  Farrar continues to concentrate on appellate advocacy, working with attorneys from across the State on civil, criminal and domestic appeals.  She remains Of Counsel at her former firm, Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, PC, in Nashville, consulting with them on appellate litigation.

Tricia Herzfeld (2010) has joined Ozment Law as Senior Counsel, where she provides civil rights and criminal law representation to Nashville’s legal community.  She can be contacted at tricia@ozmentlaw.com.

Rhonda Scott Kinslow (2010) and Tracey Kinslow (2004) have partnered to create the Kinslow Law Group, PLLC, where they specialize in commercial litigation, contract disputes, family law and probate.  They can be contacted at Rhonda@kinslowlawgroup.com or tracey@kinslowlawgroup.com. 

Jack (Nick) McCall (2005) recently edited a book entitled Pacific Time on Target,  which is “the gritty combat memoir of a Marine Corps artilleryman and forward observer”.  Information regarding this book can be found at http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2011/pacific-time-on-target/.

Tim Mickel (TBALL 2010) joined the firm of Evans Harrison Hackett PLLC in September.  He focuses his practice in the areas of general business litigation, appellate, construction & design, healthcare litigation, insurance litigation, and labor/employment.  Tim serves as Secretary of the Board of Governors of the Chattanooga Bar Association, and is President-Elect of the Justices Ray L. Brock and Robert E. Cooper American Inn of Court.  Evans Harrison Hackett is also ‘home’ to TBALL alum Chris Varner (2005) and Maury Nicely (2011) and Philip Byrum (2012).  

Emily Ogden (2010) has opened her own firm, Grassroots Strategy LLC.  She will be focusing on government relations, political campaign management, and grassroots strategy and support.  She can be reached at Emily@grassrootsstrategy.com

Julie Bhattacharya Peak (2004) was named Resident Staff Attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Inc., in September.  In this new role, Julie will handle complex litigation on behalf of Liberty Mutual’s insured and will be managing the field legal operations.  Julie has also been appointed to chair the newly formed Staff Counsel Subcommittee within the TBA’s Torts and Insurance Practice Group.  Julie’s new email address is Julie.Peak@LibertyMutual.com.

Andrea Perry (2008) was named one of Nashville Lifestyles 25 Most Beautiful People in the October, 2012 edition.  She also won the 2012 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award in January, which honors women between the ages of 25 and 40 who excel in their chosen field, devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way, and serve as a role model for young women. 

Leigh Ann Roberts (2011) will begin teaching at the Belmont College of Law in January of 2013.  Her courses will include Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution.  She continues to teach “Mediation Proficiency for Business Professionals” at the Massey School of Business at Belmont.  Her firm, Papa and Roberts, also recently added a new partner.

Law firms in East Tennessee are invited to an informational meeting, sponsored by the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission's Pro Bono Advisory Committee and the Knoxville Bar Association's Access to Justice Committee, to learn more about the "Pillar Law Firm Model" -- a program designed to increase firm involvement in pro bono services. Attendees will hear from Terry Woods, director of the Pro Bono Project for Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Access to Justice Commission Chair Buck Lewis; and representatives from firms who are participating in the program. The event will be held Oct. 30 from 4 to 5:15 p.m., at the University of Tennessee College of Law, Room 237, 1505 W. Cumberland Ave. For more information, contact Wynne du Mariau Caffey.

Duncan School of Law Dean Sydney Beckman has stepped down and will return to teaching amid uncertainty with the school’s latest appeal for accreditation. Knox News reports that the American Bar Association denied an appeal from the law school in July, but offered a second opportunity to appeal. The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners granted the school an extension of its provisional state approval, giving it until 2017 to earn ABA accreditation. The federal lawsuit LMU filed against the ABA alleging antitrust and due process violations has been stayed pending the outcome of the latest appeal.

Ten women and two men were picked this evening after two days of jury selection to hear the federal case against former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner, Knox News reports. The panel consists of primarily middle-age people, with one African American woman. Two alternatives, a man and a woman, were also chosen. Opening statements begin Thursday in U.S. District Court in Knoxville.

Jurors saw photos of dogs who were allegedly starved to death as the trial of a former Memphis Animal Services veterinarian got underway this week, the Commercial Appeal reports.  Angela Middleton faces six counts of cruelty to animals for her part in the case, which has already seen two former employees receive jail time for aggravated animal cruelty charges. Shelby County Sheriff's Office deputies raided the animal shelter in 2009 after tipsters complained of abuse and cruelty there.

Connexion Americas will host the Justice for Our Neighbors clinic at 800 18th Avenue South, Suite A, in Nashville on Thursday. The event is free, but by appointment only. For more information or to register, contact Adrienne Schlichtemeir.