NASHVILLE, TN — Germantown Attorney James “Jim” Barry will take office as president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) on Friday during the group’s annual convention in Knoxville.
Jim Barry has long been active in the Tennessee Bar Association, serving on the TBA’s Board of Governors, as chair of the TBA’s Access to Justice Committee and as co-chair for many years of the TBA’s Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative. Outside of the TBA, Barry has held leadership roles with the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Community Legal Center in Memphis, Memphis Area Legal Services, the Memphis Bar Association, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) and the Tennessee Justice Center.
Before his retirement from the International Paper Company, Barry served as the company’s chief counsel for corporate litigation. He also held top legal positions at Union Camp Corporation, Mobil Corporation and the United Company, and in 2016 was honored with the Janice M. Holder Award from TALS for his contributions in advancing the quality of justice statewide by ensuring the legal system is open and available to all. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law.
Taking office along with Barry will be President-elect Ed Lanquist of the firm Baker Donelson in Nashville and Vice President Heidi Barcus of Lewis Thomason in Knoxville. More than 200 Tennessee lawyers are taking part in the convention, which provides opportunities for continuing legal education, long-range planning and recognition of attorneys who have performed outstanding legal work and community service.
The TBA was founded in 1881. Its membership represents the entire spectrum of the legal profession in Tennessee and beyond. The TBA is open to all licensed attorneys in good standing, and it is dedicated to enhancing fellowship and professionalism among the members of Tennessee’s legal community.