Russell Fowler
Russell Fowler, a lawyer based in Chattanooga, is set to receive the Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing. The honor will be presented to him during the Tennessee Bar Association's Annual Convention in Knoxville at the Lawyers Luncheon on June 16.
Established nearly 40 years ago, this highly regarded accolade recognizes Mr. Fowler's article published in the Tennessee Bar Journal, a distinction awarded annually to the lawyer who authors the most exceptional piece in the preceding year.
Mr. Fowler's contribution, titled "Tennessee Lawyers Impact America: A History of Advancing the Right to Vote," along with its companion piece "Dunn v. Blumstein: A Young Tennessee Lawyer Wins Expansion of the Right to Vote," was in the March/April 2022 issue of the Journal.
The Joe Henry Award pays tribute to the former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, renowned for his forthright and clear writing style. Its purpose is to foster a culture of scholarly yet practical legal writing among Tennessee lawyers, providing maximum benefit to members of the bar.
A committee comprising the chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court or their representative, designated deans from prominent law schools in the state on a rotating basis, and the president of the Tennessee Bar Association collaboratively select the recipient. This year's panel of judges included Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger A. Page, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Dean Matthew Lyon, University of Tennessee College of Law Dean Lonnie Brown, and TBA President Tasha Blakney.
Mr. Fowler, who currently serves as the director of Litigation and Advocacy at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, has been an adjunct Professor of Political Science at UTC since 1999. He began his legal career as a law clerk to Chancellor C. Neal Small in Memphis and obtained his law degree from the University of Memphis in 1987. Mr. Fowler has authored numerous publications on law and legal history, and he is a regular columnist for the Tennessee Bar Association Journal.