Winston Law celebrates access to legal education at annual gala

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, together with the Black Law Students Association, continued a longstanding tradition with the 2026 Julian Blackshear Jr. Scholarship Gala this March. The annual event brought together students, alumni, faculty and community supporters to celebrate Winston Law’s enduring commitment to expanding access to law school and the legal profession.

Named for one of the college’s trailblazing alumni, Julian Blackshear Jr. (‘70), the gala and associated scholarship honor his legacy as a civil rights attorney and one of the first Black graduates of Winston Law. Over the years, the scholarship fund has been sustained by alumni, faculty, staff and community partners, creating meaningful opportunities for many deserving students. This year’s supporting sponsors were Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Garza Law Firm, along with numerous table sponsors.

Iké Adeyemi

This year’s gala featured Iké Adeyemi, senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Eastman Chemical Company, as keynote speaker. Adeyemi shared insights on leadership, resilience and the responsibility lawyers carry to serve their communities. Her remarks emphasized the importance of leveraging the law to drive meaningful social change.

Adeyemi holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an A.B. in history from Harvard University. She currently resides in Johnson City, Tennessee, with her family.

R. V. McKamey

Winston Law posthumously presented to Rudolph V. McKamey the annual R.B.J. Campbelle Jr. Award. This award, which honors the law school’s first Black graduate, as well as his courage, sacrifice and profound societal impact, recognizes an individual who demonstrates extraordinary commitment to advancing equality and justice.

McKamey was a respected Knoxville attorney, community leader and civil rights advocate who was denied admission to Winston Law in 1948, solely because of his race. Although he was not permitted to attend, his courage helped open the door for many others who followed. He went on to graduate from Howard University School of Law and built a distinguished career advocating for equality and justice in Knoxville, including efforts to desegregate lunch counters and secure fair housing for families displaced by urban renewal.

KBA adds associate members

Tasha Blakney, Katy Humphrey

Katy Humphrey with Egerton, McAfee, Armistead & Davis P.C. has become the Knoxville Bar Association’s first-ever legal associate member.

The new membership category includes paralegals, legal assistants, legal secretaries, clerks, firm administrators, office managers and other support staff, said Tasha Blakney, executive director.

“Now a wider part of the legal community can participate in planning KBA events and CLE programming, as well as enjoy benefits like discounted legal research tools and full access to our website.”
Potential new members may apply at knoxbar.org/join

Blotter

Motorist convicted of drunk driving on Cumberland Avenue

DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the DUI Unit obtained a conviction against a 24-year-old man who was drunk driving on Cumberland Avenue. Judge Hector Sanchez set the case for sentencing on June 26, 2026.

The incident occurred on August 24, 2023, at 2:50 a.m. Driving Under the Influence is a Class A Misdemeanor that carries a maximum punishment up to 11 months and 29 days in jail. The mandatory minimum for a DUI First Offense is 48 hours in custody with a $350 fine, DUI School, and a license revocation of one year. Details here.

Federal raid seizes drugs, cash, firearms

On May 15, 2026, a 39-year-old man, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was charged via criminal complaint with fentanyl and firearms offenses in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

After obtaining a warrant, DEA agents and members of KPD raided the man’s home on May 14 2026, where they found approximately 471 grams of suspected fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, including dozens of used rubber gloves, cash and three firearms. One of the firearms was a mini-Draco 7.62 semi-automatic pistol, according to the affidavit. Details here.

  • Knoxville man, 20, sentenced to over five years for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Details.
  • Morristown woman, 25, sentenced to 20 years in the deaths of multiple fentanyl overdose victims. Details.
  • Greeneville defendants sentenced to prison in Covid-19 employment tax credit fraud scheme; ordered to pay $1.8 million restitution. Details.
In Memoriam

Cynthia Kinser

Cynthia Elaine Kinser, 62, of Brentwood, Tennessee, passed away on May 13, 2026. Known as Cindy, she worked for the TN Attorney General’s Office in consumer protection, including an argument before the U.S. Supreme Court. She held a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University.

She is survived by her parents, two daughters and two grandchildren. Services will include a private burial with family and close friends at Watkins Cemetery in Loudon, Tennessee, followed by a celebration of life at her home on Friday, May 22, 2026, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Full obituary here.

Notes & Quotes

Quote: “It used to be, there was truth and there was falsehood. Now there is spin and there are gaffes. Spin is … indifference to the truth. A politician engaged in spin is saying what he or she wishes were true, and sometimes, by coincidence, it is. A gaffe … is when a politician tells the truth — or more precisely, when he or she accidentally reveals something truthful about what is going on in his or her head. A gaffe is what happens when the spin breaks down.” — Michael Kinsley