Hoping to secure a cellphone for her best friend, Katie Philyaw tried her first case at the age of 10. Even at such a tender time of life, and without the benefit a legal education or a license to practice law, she demonstrated a flair for successful advocacy.
Katie did have a model of legal acumen and civility in her father, Robert Philyaw, who at the time was an attorney in private practice in Chattanooga. So, with his example in mind, Katie did her best to look the part as she prepared for the hearing.
“I slipped into my mom’s suit, put on a pair of glasses, grabbed a legal pad, and marched over to my neighbor’s house to present my case,” recalls Katie, now 25.
The suit swallowed Katie as she stood beside her friend, Ella, and the spectacles threatened to slip off the end of her nose, but her argument was tight enough to secure a unanimous decision in her client’s favor from the judges.
“I told Ella’s parents that she needed a phone for emergencies and for communicating with her friends,” Katie continues. “It wasn’t a great argument, but I won.”
Katie’s father, who serves as the juvenile court judge in Hamilton County, says that was the day he knew his daughter would become a lawyer. But neither he nor his wife, pediatrician Kathy Philyaw, so much as nudged her toward the legal profession.
“I encouraged her to consider all of her options before deciding to attend law school,” the judge explains.
This is also how Katie remembers her parents’ counsel.
“My dad wanted me to make that choice independently. He did introduce me to different attorneys in town and connected me with people who did various things in the law – so I could make an informed decision – but he never pushed me in one direction, which I appreciated. I was able to make my decision on my own.”
Choosing a career path can be daunting for a young person, but Katie had a firm grasp of her interests. She enjoyed sinking her teeth into a research topic, she says, and she could translate her academic explorations into a well-written thesis. Both qualities translate well to the legal profession.
Katie also had an observant eye that noted the positive impact attorneys and judges could have on individuals and their community, and she respected their contributions.
“I began to see the law as a way for me to make a tangible difference,” she explains.
Katie’s school, Signal Mountain Middle High, served as an incubator that further warmed her interest in the law. She functioned as defense counsel in youth court, for starters, and she joined the mock trial team during her senior year at the urging of several her friends who were on the squad. The latter activity wasn’t easy, but Katie pressed through its challenges.
The team’s coach, attorney Charlie Poss, says Katie’s refusal to quit when faced with complex material impressed him and her more experienced teammates.
“During one practice, we were working on how to introduce exhibits. Katie was having a tough time remembering the steps she needed to go through, so she left the room for a break, clearly upset that it wasn’t coming to her quicker. Her teammates went outside and talked with her, and then she came back in and continued to work.”
Fast forward to Tennessee’s annual mock trial competition, and not only did Signal Mountain win the district contest but Katie was named “Best Advocate” of the final match.
Poss says he was proud of her.
“Katie poured a lot of time and hard work into competing with teammates who were a step ahead of her, and she mastered a difficult procedure through her incredible effort and natural intelligence.”
Katie’s natural curiosity guided her studies at Lee University, where her relentless efforts to unearth the deeper truths of a subject or an academic problem delighted her instructors, says political science professor Dr. Thomas Pope.
“Katie was a joy to have as a student. She was always inquisitive, and wanted to know not just the basic facts for an exam but also how the various principles fit together. She was patient with herself and others, and took the time to listen and think through difficult concepts. Her questions were incisive, but never cynical; she wanted to know the truth more than she wanted to be right.”
When the time came for Katie to select a law school, a disquieting thought occurred to her. Although she’d demonstrated her prowess as an academic, her last name presented a challenge as she prepared to study the law: She wanted to be known not as Katie Philyaw, daughter of Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Robert Philyaw, but as Katie Philyaw, aspiring jurist.
In other words, Katie wanted to make a name for herself, on her terms, and avoid the impression that she was riding her father’s coattails to a choice job at a prestigious firm. So, she left her hometown and moved to where “Philyaw” was just another name on the class roll: Cumberland School of Law at Samford University Birmingham.
Before leaving, her father gave her a piece of advice he wishes he could retract.
“I told her that almost all of her peers there would be A students, and that she might get a B at some point, which is normal and somewhat expected,” the judge discloses. “Why I had that conversation, I don’t know. I still remember the strange and dissatisfied look she gave me.”
Three years later, Katie graduated No. 1 in her class, had broken the school record with 13 merit awards for the highest semester grade, and was published in two scholarly journals – the Cumberland Law Review and the Gonzaga Law Review.
“I’ve never known anybody to thrive in the legal academic setting like Katie did,” her father boasts.
Ramona Albin, associate professor of law at Cumberland, says being one of Katie’s professors was her privilege.
“Ms. Philyaw is bright and works very hard. She quickly grasps the important components of case law and understands how to present information. She was always well-prepared for class, made thoughtful and well-reasoned comments and produced excellent work.
“Beyond that, Ms. Philyaw has exceptional analytical and research capabilities. As her adviser on her law review comment, I saw that she is not only a gifted writer but also a creative thinker who has the ability to identify important legal issues and offer innovative solutions to address those problems.”
As the end of law school approached, Katie considered staying in Birmingham, where she’d completed an internship and had started to make a name for herself. But her love for Chattanooga guided her back.
“No one pressured me as I was growing up; I pressured myself, which motivated me to work as hard as possible so I didn’t need anyone to vouch for me,” Katie explains. “But looking for work in Birmingham made me realize I wanted to return to Chattanooga. I love it here. And since I’d already accomplished things in Birmingham, my credentials weren’t based on my dad, they were based on my efforts.”
Given Katie’s achievements at Cumberland, there’s no mystery in Baker Donelson snapping her up for a spot as an associate in its litigation group. However, before she settles in at the Chattanooga office of the regional firm, she’ll spend a year clerking in the office of the Hon. Curtis Collier, a senior U.S. district judge.
Katie calls the position “a dream come true.”
“I was interested in doing a federal clerkship because I wanted to see the entire legal process and how attorneys work through a case from beginning to end. I’d also heard great things about Judge Collier.”
In addition to observing the importance of “good lawyering” firsthand, Katie says she’s relished being a part of Collier’s mission to teach civics to students and the general public through various programs and events. Two of these include essay contests for high school students and a Supreme Court camp during which students examined the Ed Johnson case. (Johnson was a young Black man wrongfully sentenced to death for rape and murdered by a lynch mob in Chattanooga after Justice John Marshall Harlan of the U.S. Supreme Court had issued a stay of execution.)
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, or a lack of information, and being in Judge Collier’s chambers and participating in these civics efforts has been encouraging, and motivated me to think more about what we can do to educate people who might not know the truth, or who simply want to learn more,” Katie muses.
Given Katie’s close proximity to members of the judiciary throughout her life, people sometimes ask her if she’d ever consider becoming a judge. Her answer is the best one she can give as she leaves academia behind and fulfills her first post-Cumberland role.
“Never say never. I respect judges and their part in the legal process, and I’ve seen how much my dad does and is able to accomplish. So, maybe one day.”
If that day comes, Katie might or might not be a “Philyaw.” Despite her rigorous efforts to forge her own path in the law, and regardless of her status as a newlywed (she and her husband, Rielly Grayson, a nurse at Parkridge, married in August), she’s keeping her last name – for now.
“I’ve worked hard to accomplish certain things,” she maintains, “and I want to hold on to the name I’ve made for myself.”
As Katie looks to the future, she says a love for the collaborative nature of the practice of law, the challenge of turning an idea into an unassailable legal argument, and the opportunity for constant learning will propel her forward.
Those who have encountered Katie on her journey this far are expecting great things. After all, she’s wearing her own suit now, and it fits her well.
“It’s been wonderful to see that the virtues so apparent in Katie as an undergraduate have blossomed into maturity and have been rewarded through her successes since graduation,” notes Pope. “She’s the sort of person I would want to have representing the laws within my community.”
“The sky is the limit for Ms. Philyaw,” echoes Albin. “She’s not only academically gifted and intellectually curious, but she understands the effort required to produce outstanding work. She also values the Golden Rule; she treated her colleagues and our faculty and staff with respect. I’m excited to see what Ms. Philyaw’s future holds. I know it will be bright!”