Around the Bar

AROUND THE BAR By: Charles W. Swanson

City of Knoxville Law Director

RECOGNIZING DISTINGUISHED ATTORNEYS AND AWARDING GRANTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Established in the early 90’s, the Knoxville Bar Foundation provides a means for grants to be made to support important programs and projects of our community. The funding for the grants comes primarily from the Fellows of the Foundation. The Fellows program publicly honors and recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession and in service to the Knoxville legal community. Although the introduction ceremony has been postponed, the Foundation is proud to honor and recognize the following members of the 2021 Class of Fellows:

Penny A. Arning James E. Bondurant, Jr. Joshua D. Hedrick

Maha M. Ayesh R. Kim Burnette Hillary B. Jones

Joshua M. Ball James M. Cornelius, Jr. Greg D. Meadows

Betsy J. Beck Scott Griswold Hon. E. Jerome Melson

The Fellows were selected from an outstanding list of nominees received from the members of the Foundation. This list was narrowed by vote of the Board of Directors due to the limited number of Fellows that may be chosen for each class. The reputation that each new Fellow holds in our legal community reveals that the Class of 2021 exemplifies the highest of ethical and professional standards and consists of individuals who continue to have a positive impact upon our profession.

The Foundation is also proud to announce that it has awarded grants this year to the following entities:

• CASA of East Tennessee for recruiting and training volunteers • East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists to host a public education session titled “Courtroom Confidential: Inside the

Knox County Judicial System” • Family Justice Center for development of new legal resource materials to assist victims of domestic violence • Florence Crittenton Agency to provide a case manager for low-income adolescents in State Custody • Knoxville - Knox County Community Action Committee Office on Aging in support of its Grandparents as Parents Program • Knox County Juvenile Court in support of the ASIST program for status offenders • Legal Aid of East Tennessee to continue funding the Knoxville Bar Foundation Fellowship for hiring a law student for the Pro

Bono Project • LMU Duncan School of Law to create a Pro Bono Initiative • SEEED Inc. to administer the Career Readiness Program and expose students to the justice system • Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition in support of its Legal Services Clinic • Tennessee Innocence Project to help fund law student interns and externs • YWCA of Knoxville in support of its Victim Advocacy Program

The total sum of all grants awarded this year is $25,000.00. The Foundation’s goal is to facilitate and support projects and programs that seek to improve the administration of justice, to enhance the public’s understanding of and confidence in the legal system, to support access to the legal system, and to serve the legal profession. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling approximately $510,000.00. Each year the Foundation solicits and receives multiple applications for grants. This year the grant requests totaled $65,500.00. Each application was reviewed by the Board of Directors, and a determination was made as to what, if any, sum should be awarded for each application.

The Knoxville Bar Foundation invites everyone to attend the ceremony unveiling the portraits of Judge Bob McGee and Chancellor Mike Moyers on October 13 at 3 pm in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building. Thanks to the generosity of the Knoxville legal community, these outstanding judges will be appropriately remembered in the courtrooms where they presided for so many years. Friends, family, and colleagues are invited to the brief ceremony and unveiling of the portraits done by Knoxville photographer Rachel Towers Brooks. Register at www.knoxbar.org by clicking October 13 in the event calendar.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors for the preceding year were Heidi Barcus, Bill Coley, John Harber, Reggie Keaton, Wayne R. Kramer, Harry Ogden, Mary Ann Stackhouse, The Honorable Deborah Stevens, and Charles Swanson.

If you would like to make a financial contribution to help support the work of the Foundation or if you would like to learn more about the Foundation, please feel free to contact me or any other member of the Board of Directors