Nashville Attorney John Tarpley

NASHVILLE, TENN. (TN Tribune) — Nashville attorney John Tarpley will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) prestigious William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award..

The Leech Award is given to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, legal system and the community. It is named for former Attorney General William M. Leech, and the recipient is selected by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

A shareholder in the Nashville office of Lewis Thomason, Tarpley is a former president of the Tennessee Bar Association and has also held numerous leadership positions with local, state and national legal organizations, including service in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates and the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

While president of the TBA, Tarpley established the “Lawyers Care” program and successfully recruited lawyers to do more pro bono work in the state. In addition, he implemented the “Leadership Law” program and continues to be involved in its programming.

Outside of his service to the legal profession, Tarpley has also served as president of the board of directors of the Music City Chapter of the March of Dimes and as a member of the Board of Directors of First Steps. He is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Nashville.

The Leech Award will be presented at the Tennessee Bar Association Annual Convention in Nashville on June 17 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon.