Former Justice Honored for Contributions to Access to Justice, Indigent Representation Reform, Integrity of Judicial System

Nashville School of Law President and Dean and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch, Jr. will be honored in June with the Tennessee Bar Association’s prestigious Justice Frank F. Drowota III Award.

Named in honor of former Tennessee Chief Justice Frank Drowota, the award is the TBA’s highest honor given for service to the judiciary and has been presented annually for more than a decade. Koch was chosen for his decades of service to the legal profession in Tennessee, including his local and national leadership of the American Inns of Court, as well as his work as chair of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Indigent Representation Task Force.

In that role, he led an extensive listening tour that included nine public meetings and resulted in a comprehensive report with recommendations that led to additional funding for lasting and important changes around the state.

Koch earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School.  He received his LL.M. in Judicial Process from University of Virginia School of Law. 

Fishburn, Neal to be feted June 7 at annual gathering that draws attorneys from across Tennessee

Nashville School of Law will honor Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn as its 2019 alumni honoree and professor Dianne Neal as the faculty honoree at the 26^th annual Recognition Dinner June 7, one of the largest gatherings of attorneys each year in Tennessee.

“Both of these individuals represent the best of what Nashville School of Law is all about,” Dean William C. Koch, Jr. said. “Their dedication to the School and passion for teaching are demonstrated through their connections with students and enthusiasm for our mission.”

Tickets for the 2019 Recognition Dinner are now on sale. RSVP and purchase tickets here.

Described as a “true statesman of the bar,” former Nashville School of Law Board of Trust member and instructor Douglas Murrey Fisher died Sunday, April 7, 2019 in Franklin at the age of 91.

Fisher cofounded the Nashville law firm of Howell & Fisher, PLLC. in 1964 after serving as an aide to governors Frank G. Clement, Sr. and Buford Ellington. Fisher was an inaugural member of the Board of Trust of the School and served from 1993 to 2015. He also taught Civil Procedure at the School for seven years. The School honored Fisher in 1997 with the Distinguished Faculty Award at its annual Recognition Dinner.