The Tennessee chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) has selected state Court of Appeals Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr., of Knoxville, as 2003 Appellate Judge of the Year. Also being honored at an Aug. 9 ceremony in Knoxville is U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Gray Hull, who has been named Trial Judge of the Year.
ABOTA, a national organization with an invitation-only membership of 6,000 trial lawyers and judges, has 90 chapers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Since its inception in 1958, ABOTA’s primary mission has been to preserve the civil jury trial right guaranteed by the 7th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Morristown attorney Denise Terry Stapleton is president of the Tennessee ABOTA chapter.
Susano graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1958 with a degree in accounting. Following two years of active duty military service, he attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating with a JD degree in 1963. While at UT, he was a member of the Tennessee Law Review and was admitted to the Order of the Coif.
He practiced law in Knoxville for 30 years and in 1994 was appointed by Gov. Ned McWherter to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. He was elected to the appellate court in August 1994 and re-elected to an eight year term in August 1998.
Susano is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Tennessee Bar Foundation. He also is a member of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and served on its Executive Committee from 1995-99. He was founder and first president of the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Knoxville-East Tennessee and has served on the boards of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Knoxville Legal Aid Society, the InterFaith Health Clinic, the Knoxville Area Urban League, Catholic Charities, Project First Offender, Knoxville Catholic High School and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Susano and his wife, Carolyn are the parents of three children and one grandchild.
Hull, of Greeneville, assumed Senior Judge status this year. He was United States District Court Judge in Greeneville for 20 years and was Circuit Court Judge for Greene, Hamblen and Hawkins counties from 1972-79. From 1979 to 1981, he was legal counsel to Gov. Lamar Alexander.