The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) gathered last week at the TBA's 2026 Annual Convention in Knoxville. On Friday, the traditional gavel pass and toast were held in conjunction with the Tennessee Bar Foundation as Memphis attorney Jennifer Sneed-Perry took office as YLD president. Others taking office were President-elect Darius Walker Jr. of Nashville, Vice President Judge Zachary Walden of Jacksboro, Secretary Patrick Morrison of Nashville and Treasurer Ashley Tipton of Nashville. The group also held its Annual Meeting. The 2026-2027 Board met on Saturday for a wellness walk to the Tennessee River, and held committee planning sessions and its first board meeting where Bronte Ward and Renee Austin were elected as district representatives. On Friday evening, both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 boards met for dinner at the Sunsphere. They were joined by the YLD Fellows for the induction of new fellows, members of the Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2026 for their graduation and the Rural Judicial Fellows (RJF) Class of 2026. Outgoing YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh also presented awards to members for extraordinary service over the past year. Read more about those honored and see photos.

Members of the 2026 TBA Leadership Law class (TBALL) selected Nashville lawyer Christopher M. Bellamy as this year’s recipient of the Larry Dean Wilks Leadership Award. Bellamy is a partner in the Nashville office of Fisher Phillips, where he focuses on labor and employment matters. He was honored during the group’s graduation ceremonies in Knoxville last week as part of the TBA Annual Convention. The class has spent the last six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service. The award is named for former TBA president and Springfield lawyer Larry Wilks, who was instrumental in creating the TBALL program. It is given each year to the class member who exemplifies exceptional leadership qualities and enhances the education of others. Wilks' son John was on hand to present the award. Learn more about the Wilks Award and see past recipients.

Memphis attorney Charlotte Knight Griffin was sworn last week as the 146th president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA). The oath of office was administered by former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page during the TBA’s Annual Lawyers Luncheon. Knight Griffin began her career in private practice in Memphis after earning her law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law. She joined Memphis Light, Gas and Water as a staff attorney in 1978 and was named the manager of legal services in 2000. She retired in April 2023 after 45 years of service. Knight Griffin has been active in the TBA for many years, most recently serving as president-elect, vice president, speaker of the House of Delegates and a member of the Board of Governors. She has been involved in legal organizations at the local, state and national levels and is a fellow in the Tennessee, Memphis and American bar foundations.

Members of the Tennessee legal community met for the second day of the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville today. The morning began with a Public Service Awards Breakfast featuring presentation of the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award to Nashville attorney Garrah Carter-Mason, the Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year to Jennifer Egelston with Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the Law Student of the Year Award to recent Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law graduate Sierra Sidoti, and the 2026 CASA Volunteer of the Year to Tracy Farmer with CASA of Williamson County. Tech-focused CLEs filled the programming portions of the morning followed by three Lunch & Learn sessions and the first-ever Tech Showcase. TBA's Leadership Law program kicked off its final programming of the bar year with class members hearing from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight Tarwater and Memphis lawyer and former TBA President Buck Lewis. The afternoon wrapped up with two favorite programs: the 2026 Legislative Update and a joint program with Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL). The day concluded with a reception at the new Smokies Stadium in downtown Knoxville. See pictures from today's events.

The 2026 TBA Annual Convention kicked off today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Knoxville with a meeting of the TBA House of Delegates, followed by a welcome reception and group dinners for attendees. On-site registrations are still available — including tickets for tomorrow's Tech Showcase — at the TBA Registration Desk on the Mezzanine level of the hotel. A full schedule of convention events and CLE programming is available on the TBA website.

Thank you to the sponsors who have helped underwrite the costs of this year's TBA Convention! Thank you to Platinum Sponsor Miles Mediation & Arbitration; Silver Sponsors Lexitas, SoFi and TBA Member Insurance Solutions; Bronze sponsors Clio, Easy IT Guys, JAMS, LexisNexis, Pinnacle Financial Partners and The Bar Plan; and Copper sponsors Conservatorship Association of Tennessee, Duck Hunts Medical Records Retrieval, Esquire Deposition Solutions, Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and Time Miner. Check out our sponsor page for more information on these companies and make plans to visit with many of them during this week's event in Knoxville. Pre-registration has closed but on-site registration will be available.

Thank you to the following technology companies that are participating in this year's Tech Showcase set for Thursday in Knoxville: Arbor AI, Big Cloud Consultants, Clio, Digital Ideation Group, Easy IT Guys, LexisNexis, Lexitas, Our Family Wizard, Paladin, Scipio Technologies, Verbotics AI and Writly. Check out our sponsor page for more information on these companies and make plans to visit with them during this week's event. Pre-registration has closed but on-site registration will be available. Can't make the full convention? TBA also is selling day passes for Thursday. A showcase ticket includes 3.5 hours of legal tech CLE, lunch, choice of Lunch & Learn break out session and access to vendors in the Tech Showcase Exhibit Hall. Day passes can be purchased at the TBA Registration Desk on the second floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The TBA’s 145th Annual Convention will kick off Wednesday in Knoxville. Pre-registration has closed but on-site registration will be available at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville. The TBA Registration Desk will be located on the second floor of the hotel. Tickets also will be available for individual events and Thursday’s Tech Showcase, which will include 3.5 hours of legal tech CLE, lunch and choice of Lunch & Learn breakout session. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state!

Thank you as well to the sponsors who have helped underwrite the costs of this year's convention! Thank you to Platinum Sponsor Miles Mediation & Arbitration; Silver Sponsors Lexitas, SoFi and TBA Member Insurance Solutions; Bronze Sponsors Clio, Easy IT Guys, JAMS, LexisNexis, Pinnacle Financial Partners and The Bar Plan; and Copper Sponsors Conservatorship Association of Tennessee, Duck Hunts Medical Records Retrieval, Esquire Deposition Solutions, Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and Time Miner. Check out our sponsor page for more information on these companies and make plans to visit with many of them this week.

Next week’s TBA Convention will include a new element for lunch on Thursday. After grabbing a boxed lunch, attendees will be able to choose one of three Lunch & Learn opportunities. In the Summit Ballroom, Josh McIntyre, an attorney and senior manager of bar partnerships at Clio, will present “Increasing Law Firm Productivity with AI.” The session will focus on productivity, highlighting how AI streamlines workflows and scales operations without compromising the essential human touch or quality of work. In Salon C, Melanie Watson, a judicial education coordinator with Our Family Wizard, will present “Co-Parenting in the Digital Age: Improving Outcomes & Reducing Litigation with Our Family Wizard.” Watson will discuss the all-in-one co-parenting app that allows families to share a schedule, track expenses and stay connected. Finally, in Salon B, the TBA Attorney Engagement & Opportunity Committee will hold a session to hear from lawyers and answer questions about its work. Make plans now to join one of these informative breakouts next week!

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan with the Eastern District of Tennessee will be honored 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.