New ATJ Commission Member Appointed

The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed McKenna Cox of Johnson City as an Access To Justice Commission Member for a three-year term, beginning April 1, 2021. Ms. Cox is a partner at Herndon, Coleman, Brading, & McKee, LLP. She graduated magna cum laude from Wofford College with a Bachelor’s degree in English, Spanish, and Latin American Studies. She holds a Master’s Degree in Romance Languages and Literature from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and is fluent in Spanish. Ms. Cox received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2005 with a concentration in Advocacy.

”I’m honored to be selected to serve on the Access to Justice Commission,” Cox said. “I’m looking forward to joining the Commission and working to fulfill its mission to provide equal access to justice for all Tennesseans.”

Ms. Cox has over fifteen years of experience in family law, domestic violence, mediation, powers of attorney, immigration, conservatorships, and civil litigation practice. She is a Rule 31 listed family mediator. She is also a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the Catholic Charities CLINIC program for representation of victims of crime in immigration cases. She is member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); the Federal Bar Association and its Immigration Law Section; the Tennessee Bar Association; the LGBTQ Bar Association; is the past vice president and pro bono coordinator of the Washington County Bar Association; sat on the Board of Legal Aid of East Tennessee; and is currently chancellor of the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Johnson City and the Parliamentarian for the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee.

“We are excited that the Court has appointed McKenna Cox to the Access to Justice Commission. Her skills and expertise will be a valuable addition,” said J. William Coley, chair of the Access to Justice Commission.

The Supreme Court also thanked Michael L. Forrester for his extraordinary service to the Commission during his tenure that ended March 31, 2021. In addition, the Supreme Court re-appointed John L. Farringer, IV and Judge Alexander McVeagh each to a second three-year term beginning on April 1, 2021.

“The Court is extremely appreciative of Michael Forrester’s commitment to the Commission and Access to Justice over the past three years,” said Justice Cornelia Clark, Supreme Court Liaison to the Access to Justice Commission. “His perspective has been insightful and will be greatly missed. We are also very pleased that both John Farringer and Judge Alexander McVeagh will continue to serve for a second term.”

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission provides collaborative leadership to create solutions and resources that address and eliminate barriers to justice for all. More information can be found here.