Tennessee Access to Justice leaders have established the Justice Frank F. Drowota Trust to provide supplemental funds to direct providers of legal services to Tennessee’s low-income citizens. The Trust was announced at the August 31, 2023, Equal Justice University luncheon sponsored by Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) in Murfreesboro.
The idea for the Trust, the first of its kind in the nation, came from TALS immediate Past-Director Ann Pruitt. Former TBA President Buck Lewis, Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee, and Claire Drowota will serve as Trustees. Former Access to Justice Commission member and former University of Tennessee College of Law Dean Doug Blaze, Ms. Pruitt, and Tennessee Bar Association President Jim Barry will serve as Trust Advisors and Trustee Successors.
Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page, remembering Justice Drowota, said, “Everyone in Tennessee’s judiciary and beyond thought Frank was the finest judge and finest person we had ever known. The Court is pleased that his memory is being honored in this way.”
Justice Lee, who has agreed to be personally involved in the project, said, “Frank had a heart full of love for Tennessee’s citizens, and he always fought for equal access to justice. I am excited to be involved with the Trust because we can help the agencies which are helping people every day and honor a legendary Chief Justice at the same time.”
For more information and to support the Drowota Trust, please contact Buck Lewis, blewis@bakerdonelson.com.
