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. Presentation of the award this year is timely given that Varlan has announced he will take senior status this fall. In a letter supporting Varlan for the award, the other judges of the district court praised his judicial temperament and selflessness exhibited while serving as chief judge of the district. In particular, they point to his decision to end his term as chief judge six months early so his colleague, the late 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 announcing this year’s recipient, TBA President Heidi Barcus said: “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.” The professionalism award honors 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 legal profession in Tennessee. It 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. Read more about Varlan's selection in a press release from the TBA.

The 2026 Convention CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit, including a presentation from Livingston lawyers Emily and Evan Wright with Wright & Wright LLP. The pair will provide a practical overview of how attorneys can use AI tools effectively while maintaining independent judgment and meeting ethical obligations. Emily and Evan are managing partners of the firm. Emily handles civil, real estate, probate, criminal and juvenile law. Evan handles civil, real estate, probate, criminal and juvenile law. The firm also serves as counsel for Pickett County. Learn more about the convention and register here. Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.

Can't join us for the full TBA Convention this month? Or maybe you need to add a guest ticket for a specific event? Individual tickets now are available for purchase for the following events: Wednesday's opening reception; Thursday's Public Service Breakfast, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Breakfast, TBA's Tech Showcase and the evening reception at Smokies stadium; and Friday's breakfast and Lawyers Luncheon. Buy tickets here.

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor these award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. One of the awards, the CASA Volunteer of the Year Award, will be presented to Tracy Farmer who has worked with Williamson County CASA for the past 14 years. The award is given each year by the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD). This year, it will be presented by TBA YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers, who is the assistant dean for career and professional development at Belmont University College of Law. Read more about Farmer in TBA's press release.

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor these award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. The Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year Award will be presented to Jennifer Egelston, an attorney in the Knoxville office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET). Egelston was selected for her work on several complicated family law cases and for using her experience handling cases involving Abrial’s Law to educate other attorneys on utilizing the protections it offers to parents and children. The Law Student Volunteer Award recognizes the efforts of a student enrolled at or recently graduated from a Tennessee law school who provided dedicated and outstanding pro bono service while working with an organization primarily engaged in providing legal representation to indigent clients. This year, TBA is honoring Sierra Sidoti, a student at the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. Since the summer of 2024, Sidoti has served as a pro bono law clerk in the Knoxville office of LAET. Read more about both of these award winners in the TBA's press release. Learn more about the awards and see past recipients on the TBA website.

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor these award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. One of those awards, the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award, will be presented to Nashville lawyer Garrah Carter-Mason with Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. Carter-Mason will be recognized for her work on behalf of Darrell Davis, who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in April 2022 and sentenced to life without parole. Read more in TBA's press release.

Each year the TBA recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor public service award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville.

The TBA’s 2026 Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award will be presented to Nashville lawyer Garrah Carter-Mason with Bass, Berry & Sims for her work on behalf of a man wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in 2022. Over three years, she worked more than a thousand pro bono hours on the case. Her efforts led to a new trial, during which a jury found her client not guilty on all charges, leading to his release from prison. The 2026 Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year Award will be presented to Jennifer Egelston, a staff attorney in the Knoxville office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET). Egelston was selected for her work on several complicated family law cases and her efforts to educate other lawyers about Abrial’s Law, which gives courts new tools to protect parents and children from abusive caregivers. The 2026 Law Student of the Year Award will be presented to Sierra Sidoti, a student at the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. Sidoti will be recognized for her work as a pro bono law clerk in the Knoxville office of LAET. During a prolonged staffing gap in 2025, Sidoti helped maintain continuity of pro bono services and train the staff member who ultimately was hired to fill the role. Finally, the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will present the 2026 CASA Volunteer of the Year to Tracy Farmer who serves with Williamson County CASA. Farmer will be recognized for her longevity of service, extraordinary commitment to serve Tennessee children and mentorship of new volunteers. Read more about each award recipient at the links above.

Pre-registration for TBA's 2026 Convention in Knoxville will close this coming Sunday, June 7, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Only on-site registration will be accepted after that point. This year's convention will run from June 10-13. Visit the TBA Convention site for more information, including the the registration form, event schedule, CLE line up and awards to be presented.

The 2026 Convention CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit, including a presentation from attorney and productivity consultant Paul Unger with the Affinity Consulting Group. Unger will talk about “12 Time Management Things Attorneys Should Do, But Don’t.” Unger is a national speaker and author who coaches lawyers on how to be more efficient with time management. He began his career working for the governor of Ohio. After law school, he practiced law for six years, handling litigation and bankruptcy cases. In 2000, he started a legal technology consulting company. His favorite part of his job is helping people get organized and focused so they can find more enjoyment in their lives and jobs. Affinity Consulting is a TBA member benefit partner. Learn more about the services they offer. Learn more about the convention and register here.

The 2026 Convention CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit, including a presentation from Tara Cheever, co-founder and chief product officer of LIT SOFTWARE. Since 2010, Cheever has helped lead the design and development of technologies to serve litigators, focusing on practical, accessible technology that supports legal professionals in trial preparation, case analysis and courtroom presentation. Her applications are used by a broad range of legal organizations, including solo practitioners, large law firms, corporate legal departments, prosecutors, public defenders and government agencies. The software also is incorporated into legal education programs at law schools throughout the country. Cheever’s presentation in Knoxville will focus on using technology to transform the way litigators prepare, organize and present their cases from managing discovery to preparing depositions, presenting evidence and collaborating with co-counsel. Learn more about the convention and register here. Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.