Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee, a 1978 graduate of the College of Law, and Dean and Professor Emeritus Doug Blaze received honors from the Tennessee Bar Association earlier this month at the organization’s annual convention.
Lee was honored with the Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award, given to a judicial branch official in Tennessee who has demonstrated devotion and dedication to the improvement of the law. It is the organization’s highest award for service to the judiciary.
Lee, who recently served as the College of Law’s 2023 commencement speaker, has been a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court since 2008 and served for two years as its chief justice advocating for access to justice efforts and establishing the state’s first business court pilot project. She also implemented electronic filing with the appellate courts and undertook a review of the state’s indigent representation system.
Blaze was honored with the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award from the Tennessee Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. The award is given annually to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, legal system and the community.
Blaze joined the UT Law faculty in 1993 as the director of clinical programs. He also taught at the school, focusing on access to justice, criminal law, procedural law, and leadership and professional development. He later was named director of the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution and interim associate dean for academic affairs. He served as dean of the law school from 2008-2015 and then again from 2020-2022. Blaze helped found the college’s Institute for Professional Leadership and served as its first director before retiring from full-time teaching in July 2022.
Others honored during the convention include:
• Alumna Tasha Blakney (’99), who was celebrated for her year of service as the organization’s president.
• Alumna Heidi Barcus (’93), who assumed the role of the organization’s vice president and will advance to the presidency in 2025. Barcus is also a former adjunct professor at the College of Law having taught legal writing, pre-trial litigation and trial practice.
• Alumnus Jason Long (’96), who received the President’s Award for his work as the chair of the executive director search committee.