Editorial
Front Page - Friday, May 21, 2010
Chattanooga Bar Association celebrate Law Day 2010
David Laprad
Skipper Fairbanks with family and Honorable Clarence Shattuck. Turn to pages six and seven for more photos of Law Day 2010.
- Photo provided
Each year, the Chattanooga Bar Association observes Law Day, a national day of celebration during which Americans are encouraged to reflect on the rule of law and how it contributes to the freedoms they share.
This year’s event took place May 7 at Sheraton Read House. In addition to announcing the new Chattanooga Bar Foundation Fellows, the Paralegal Utilization Award and the Liberty Bell Award, the Bar welcomed the Honorable Sharon Gail Lee, justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, as guest speaker.
Each Law Day is built around a central theme; the theme for 2010 was “Law in the 21st Century: Enduring Traditions, Emerging Challenges.” In a Law Day proclamation, President Obama said the law is changing dramatically as it seeks to shape and adapt to the new conditions of the 21st Century.
“Economic markets are becoming global, transactions require cultural adaptation and understanding, populations are more mobile, and communication technologies such as the Internet bridge distances and time zones to form new communities around the world.
“In such a world, all of us must renew our commitment to the enduring principles of law, become knowledgeable about other legal systems, recognize the need to adapt our practices, and acquire new cultural understandings. In a global era, matters such as human rights, criminal justice, intellectual property, business transactions, dispute resolution, human migration
and environmental regulation become not just international issues between nations but shared concerns.”
Guest speaker
Lee deviated from the topic in her speech, during which she shared the true stories of two American soldiers who fought in World War II and were captured and held in German prison camps.
The first was David Goldin, father of Chancellor Arnold Goldin of Shelby County; the second was her father, Charles Lee. Both men returned home with permanent physical problems and emotional scarring, Lee said, but the trauma they endured did not damage their love for their families or their country.
“They had an overwhelming and strong desire to live. They were determined to be reunited with their families. They never gave up. During the war, they saw so much death and violence that after that experience, each day was a gift [and] had to be lived to the fullest,” she said, as pictures of both men were projected onto a large screen.
“They were forgiving; they did not hold grudges or harbor resentment; they were optimists. They were grateful to be alive; they did not complain or whine; they did not waste food. They instilled in their children a respect for their country and a desire to serve.
“At an early age, these men had seen the worst. They were true American heroes. Today, as we face adversity on a [smaller] scale, there is a great lesson there for us.”
New Fellows introduced
Following Lee’s speech, the Honorable William Barker introduced the Fellow Class of 2010. To be qualified to become a Fellow, a member of the Bar needs to have practiced law no less than 10 years, have a good reputation and be willing to donate $1,000 to the Foundation, which it will use to support young law students.
This year’s inductees included John Higgason, Phillip Lawrence, Richard Marcus, Allen McCallie, Phil Noblett, David Noblit and Judge Barry Steelman.
The Hamilton County Herald will publish a separate article about the inductees at a later date.
Paralegal Utilization Award
Following the introduction of the Fellows, the Tennessee Paralegal Association, Southeastern Chapter, announced its second annual Judge W. Neil Thomas III Paralegal Utilization Award. The association presents the award to an attorney who advances the paralegal professional by assigning work that corresponds to the knowledge and skills of his paralegals and who encourages his paralegals to further their education, among other criteria.
Chapter chair, Christie Glass, announced Mike Raulston, whom paralegal Brandy Spurgin nominated, as the recipient, saying, “When Spurgin started working for Raulston, she had no legal experience. He encouraged her to finish her degree at UTC. Over the past five years, he’s patiently taught her the business, encouraged her to attend educational seminars and take CLE courses, and has not hesitated to give her important tasks and responsibilities that advanced her skills and knowledge.”
While accepting the award, Raulston said, “Spurgin is an incredible example of the people who run our lives. I’m blessed that my beautiful wife is here today, but the woman who runs my life for the other 23 hours is Brandy. She finished her third year of law school last night; soon, you’ll see her skills in court.”
The Liberty Bell Award
To close out the Law Day 2010 celebration, the Honorable Clarence Shattuck, General Sessions Court, Division III, announced the winner of the 47th annual Liberty Bell Award. The award recognizes a local citizen whose service has strengthened the legal system.
This year’s recipient was Skipper Fairbanks. A lifelong resident of Hamilton County, Fairbanks worked as a parole officer for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee for 28 years. During that time, he earned the respect of the federal judges under whom he worked, with one saying, “He did an outstanding job and was especially influential with the younger probationers.”
After retiring as a probation officer, Fairbanks taught science and coached football and baseball at Red Bank Middle School. During his tenure, he won several coach of the year awards and saw many of his players go on to compete in high school sports and beyond.
Fairbanks also served as a high school football referee for over 40 years, developing a reputation for having a consummate knowledge of the rules and performing well enough to officiate the state playoffs for approximately 30 of those years.
Shattuck said Fairbanks had two lifelong passions, both of which grew out of his desire to help the young people in his community: the Red Bank Dixie Youth Baseball program and boxing. He helped to launch the former in 1956 and is still involved with the organization as executive director today. Regarding the latter, Fairbanks has coached over 3,000 young men in boxing since the 1950s.
“He believes boxing is an excellent way to learn life’s lessons,” Shattuck said.
Fairbanks has also taught a Sunday school class at Red Bank Methodist Church for 50 years.
His wife of 53 years, Carolyn, passed away in 2009, though his three daughters, five grandchildren and three surviving siblings continue to surround him with familial support.
“We will never know the number of young people he’s influenced or the full extent of the influence he’s had as a teacher, coach, probation officer, Sunday school teacher and friend,” Shattuck said.
Fairbanks, who was unaware of his selection before Shattuck’s introduction, said, “This is a real surprise. I’ll try to live up to this. Thank you.”
With those words, the members of the Bar ended their observance of Law Day 2010 and returned to the business of daily upholding and honoring the rule of law in their lives and careers.
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