Third-year law students Sarah Beth Cain and Alexander Wright have been named 2022-23 Hardwick Fellows for the University of Tennessee College of Law’s Institute for Professional Leadership.
The students will play an important role supporting the institute’s curricular offerings and aiding in educational, research and outreach efforts.
Cain, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, has served in a variety of roles during her time as a student at the College of Law. She’s been an editorial board member for the Tennessee Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice and served on the boards of the Student Council for Diversity and Inclusion and the Law Women student organization. She has also worked as a commercialization analyst with the University of Tennessee Research Foundation.
Wright, a political science graduate of Miami University, has served on the boards of the American Constitution Society and the Sport and Entertainment Law student organizations during his time as a law student. He’s also been a teaching assistant for the institute’s lawyering and professionalism course, a legal intern for Pilot Corporate Legal Department and a summer associate with Brock Shipe Klenk PLC and Paine, Tarwater, & Bickers, LLP.
The College of Law’s Institute for Professional Leadership, established in 2014 and led by Interim Director Joan Heminway, offers a variety of courses and experiences for law students to enhance their leadership skills. The institute has hosted two national symposia on leadership education and promotes professional leadership research through the Leading As Lawyers blog. The institute played a significant role in establishing the section on leadership with the Association of American Law Schools, and it also hosts speakers on important leadership topics providing leadership training through academic and CLE programs.
The Hardwick Fellowship is awarded annually and is made possible by a gift from College of Law alumna Laura S. Durbin.