News & Events
Professor Jerry Black receives statewide '11 THEC honor
Professor Jerry Black is the recipient of the 2011 Harold Love Outstanding Community Involvement Award presented by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Black, a member of the UT clinic faculty since 1976, will be honored at a reception in Nashville April 28.
Black, who received a law degree from Vanderbilt University, has served as Director of the UT Legal Clinic as well as Executive Director of the Knoxville Legal Aid Society (now Legal Aid of East Tennessee). He was the first director of the College of Law's Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution from 1996 until 1998.
Black teaches primarily in the areas of advocacy clinic, criminal law, evidence and trial practice. As a member of the UT clinic faculty he has led in the training of promising young advocates for more than three decades and has encouraged students to become involved in professional and public service activities.
Black's professional service includes serving as pro counsel for the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project and the Tennessee Capital Case Resource Center. He is a charter member of the Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court and has served as faculty advisor to the UT Chapter of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
In 2002 Black received the prestigious Richard Jacobson Award for Excellence in Teaching Trial Advocacy by the Roscoe Pound Institute. He was honored by TACDL in 2003 for "his lifetime contributions to teaching the goals, aspirations, and principles of quality criminal defense to his students, peers, and friends at TACDL." He has received the College of Law's Carden Award for Outstanding Institutional Service three times.
Each year since 1997 the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has selected five students and five faculty/staff recipients for the Love award, which is named for the late state representative. Criteria for nominations include public service to the community beyond the scope of nominee's paid duties;
impact of nominee's effectiveness on individuals, groups, or organizations served; and
evidence of nominee's successful service in improving communities, volunteer work programs, charitable organizations and community leadership roles.