Vanderbilt University Law School

Class of 1977

(Notes posted in the order they were received, with the newest posts on top.)

Elise Givhan Spainhour has recently received the 2008 New Judge of the Year from CASA of Kentucky. CASA is a national child advocacy group which advocates for dependent, neglected, and abused children in the legal system. She also was recognized as Outstanding Judge in the 55th Circuit of Kentucky by the Bullitt County CASA. She took the bench in 2007. Posted 4-09

Scott Glasscock has been elected president of the New England Society (NES) of the City of New York. Founded in 1805, the NES is one of the country's oldest charitable membership organizations. The NES provides scholarships to academically qualified but financially challenged New York City students attending New England colleges and universities. Posted 1-12-09

Herman Morris has joined the Waddell & Reed firm as a financial advisor in the Memphis area. Herman was a 2007 candidate for mayor of Memphis and prior to that he served as president and CEO of MLGW for seven years and vice president and general counsel of MLGW for eight years. He has also served as general counsel for Pinnacle Airlines, a shareholder in the Baker Donelson law firm and a partner in the Ratner & Sugarmon law firm during his more than 30 years as a practicing attorney. As a personal financial advisor, Herman will help develop customized financial plans, recommend investment strategies and counsel clients throughout the area. Herman earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rhodes College. He has an extensive history of community service with numerous organizations including the United Way, National Civil Rights Museum, American Heart Association, Community Foundation and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. He’s also served on the Rhodes College Trustee Board and is a 2006 recipient of the prestigious United Way Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award, and the NCCJ 2002, Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Posted on web 10-1-08

Professor Jane E. Schukoske lives in New Delhi, India, where she serves as advisor for a foundation which is establishing a private, not-for-profit university, the O.P. Jindal Global University, in Sonipat, Haryana, outside Delhi. She is also a Visiting Professor at University of Baltimore School of Law consulting on its LL.M. Program for foreign lawyers in the Law of the United States. She served the United States Educational Foundation in India as its executive director from May, 2000 through April, 2008.
Posted on website 9-22-08

Richard H. Dinkins was named to the Tennessee Court of Appeals by Gov. Phil Bredesen. Dinkins had served as Part IV Chancellor since 2003. Earlier, he spent 18 years as an associate at the law firm of the prominent late civil rights advocate, litigator and State Sen. Avon M. Williams Jr. Dinkins was a member of Dodson, Parker, Dinkins and Behm from 1999 to 2003. In that role, he was counsel to the Nashville Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency and Fisk University.

Shepherd Tate has joined the Memphis office of Bass Berry & Sims.

Barbara Moss received the prestigious 2007 Athena Award from CABLE after bring nominated by the Lawyers' Association for Women in Middle Tennessee for her exemplary commitment to leadership, professional excellence, community involvement, and assistance to women and women's issues.

Robert Boak Slocum has released a new book entitled Light in a Burning Glass- A Systematic Presentation of Austin Farrer's Theology.

Tom Lindley, a partner with Perkins Coie in its Oregon office, is completing his second and final term as President of the Board of SOLV, the Pacific Northwest's largest volunteer organization, won the Environmental Excellence Award from Associated Oregon Industries, and was recognized by listings in both Best Lawyers in America and Oregon Super Lawyers.

Herman Morris, Jr., former president and CEO of Memphis Light Gas and Water, and recently honored in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Energy Law, was awarded the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association 2006 Presidential Award for Outstanding Service. The award was presented to Morris at the 2006 Barristers Ball held at Ridgeway Country Club on November 18, 2006.

Morris, a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School and Rhodes College, chaired the National Bar Association's Judicial Evaluation Committee during this year's judicial elections. Morris stated, “We decided to pursue a judicial candidate evaluation process to better inform and to enlighten the community as they prepared to vote in this year's election on the qualifications and experience of the various candidates for judicial offices.” The lawyers on the committee he headed were diverse in terms of experiences, courts in which they practice, age, gender, race and plaintiff, prosecutor, defendant orientation. The committee spent many hours reviewing and interviewing the candidates running for judgeships. The fruit of the committees labors were presented to the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association membership in a specially called meeting and were overwhelmingly approved and accepted.

In addition, Morris was also awarded the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award for Outstanding Service by the United Way of the Mid-South. The award was presented to Morris at the 2006 Alexis de Tocqueville Award Dinner on November 30, 2006. Morris chaired the United Way of the Mid-South Annual Campaign in 2002 and has been a member of the board of United Way for six years. The Alexis de Tocqueville Society is made up of the largest individual contributors to the United Way of the Mid-South campaign each year. Morris stated, “I am honored and delighted to be recognized by the Alexis de Tocqueville Society. They do so much to help the United Way address the needs of the truly needy in our community and they do it from their own pockets and with out regard to race, gender, religion, ethnicity. This comes at a very good time. It recognizes the hard work of the United Way. I accept it from them as testimony to my small contribution to their tremendous efforts making a positive difference for those in need in our community.”

Elise Givhan Spainhour has been elected as Bullitt County, Kentucky's first family court judge. Spainhour has practiced law in Shepherdsville, KY since 1977, and most of her career has been spent arguing and defending family-related matters. For six years, she was an assistant county attorney, where she prosecuted juvenile court cases, child support cases and paternity cases. She is also a former city attorney for Hillview and Hunter's Hollow.

Julian Bibb was named by the Williamson County-Franklin Chamber of Commerce as its member of the year. Julian practices law at Stites & Harbison in Nashville.

Rep. David Simmons, a Republican who represents Altamonte Springs in the Florida State Legislature, was profiled in the Florida Bar News on May 15.

W. Perry Brandt has joined the Kansas City, Missouri, office of Bryan Cave as a partner. He will continue to practice in the field of commercial litigation, especially in the areas of securities litigation and arbitration, and employment law.

Ralph Levy has been named counsel to the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. An attorney with the Nashville office of Frost Brown Todd, Ralph practices in the corporate, health care and personal financial planning groups. Prior to joining the firm, he practiced with Little House & Levy and served for over 10 years as general counsel, executive vice president and secretary for Gambro Healthcare Inc.

Do you have news you would like to share or just want to let everyone know what you are up to these days? Submit your class note online, e-mail Grace Renshaw or call 615-322-2606.

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