Around the Community

AROUND THE COMMUNITY By: Heidi A. Barcus

Chair, Knoxville Bar Foundation

KNOXVILLE BAR FOUNDATION: RECOGNIZING DISTINGUISHED ATTORNEYS AND AWARDING GRANTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Established in the early 90’s, the Knoxville Bar Foundation provides grants 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. The Foundation is proud to honor and recognize the following members of the 2022 Class of Fellows:

Catherine W. Anglin Lisa J. Hall George R. Arrants, Jr. Raymond G. Lewallen, Jr. John G. Brock Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook William J. Carver Eric J. Morrison William D. Edwards Jennifer B. Morton

Robert B. Frost, Jr. L. Caesar Stair, IV

Front: Jennifer Morton, Eric Morrison, Hon. Jill McCook, Catherine Anglin, Lisa Hall, Grant Lewallen Back: George Arrants, John Brock, Will Edwards, Rob Frost, Caesar Stair (Not pictured: Will Carver)

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 2022 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 • Community Mediation Center • Federal Defender Services – Full Circle Re-Entry Program • Knoxville Bar Association – Legal History Videos • 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 • Metro Drug Coalition, to pay deposits for indigent individuals to enter sober living housing • SEEED Inc. to administer the Career Readiness Program and expose students to the justice system • 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 serve the legal profession. Since 1997, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling approximately $535,000.00. 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 Foundation’s Board of Directors are Adrienne Anderson, J. William Coley, Wade Davies, John Harber, Reggie Keaton, Wayne R. Kramer, 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.