Michelle Quinn (front row center), a first-year student from Memphis, is the first recipient of the Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs Scholarship. With Michelle on the front row are Robert Pinson and Larry Crawford of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. Across the back row are UT Associate Dean Doug Blaze, Director of Admissions Karen Britton, Odell Horton and Bill Gibson of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, and interim UT Dean John Sobieski.

Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs establishes
diversity scholarship at UT Law

The multi-state law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP has established a scholarship at the University of Tennessee College of Law to help promote diversity within the student body.

Michelle Quinn, a first-year law student from Memphis, is the first recipient of the scholarship. Michelle received an undergraduate degree in psychology from UT Knoxville in August of 2006 and worked at a Knoxville law firm for a year prior to enrolling at the College of Law in August ‘07. She has indicated an interest in UT’s business transactions curriculum.

The Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs Scholarship will be offered every three years to a UT law student with preference for a Tennessee or Kentucky resident. The firm has more than 200 attorneys and offices in Memphis and Nashville, Tenn., and Lexington, Louisville and Bowling Green, Ky. In addition, the firm has offices in Jackson, Miss., New Albany, Ind., and Fort Collins, Colo.

"The Wyatt firm is pleased to provide this scholarship to promote diversity in the law school's student body." said Bill Gibson, partner in charge of the firm's Nashville office. "As our Partner, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, former Executive Director of the NAACP, once said, 'Education is the answer to a great many problems.' Our Firm is committed to the importance of having our bar reflect the diversity of our communities."

Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, a comprehensive firm practicing in all areas of business and litigation matters, will provide mentoring for the recipient during law school and a summer intern position with the firm following the recipient’s first academic year providing the recipient is making satisfactory academic progress.

“The College of Law is firmly committed to diversity and support of this scholarship by Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs will allow us to continue to attract outstanding students from many diverse backgrounds,” said interim dean John Sobieski, Jr.