NSL Welcomes New Rigorous Writing Coordinator and Names Winners for Excellence in RWE

Lisa Helton, an attorney with Sherrard, Roe, Voigt, Harbison law firm in Nashville, has been named the new Rigorous Writing Coordinator for Nashville School of Law.

The Rigorous Writing Exercise (RWE) was introduced in 2017 and has been led by former NSL Legal Skills & Values Instructor Candi Henry. It is a required program for all third-year students to graduate law school.

Tennessee attorneys and judges are volunteer mentors, helping students select a legal topic for the 15- to 20-page research paper.

“I’m really excited to connect with students who are at the beginning of their legal careers. It is an amazing experience to explore this profession, and I am honored to assist my students with that journey,” said Helton.

“As a litigator I spend a significant amount of time drafting briefs, so I believe this writing experience will help my Rigorous Writing Exercise students as they work on their in-depth writing project.”

Some of Helton’s practice areas include estate and trust litigation, appellate practice, landlord/ tenant law, and IRS tax litigation.

Helton graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she was admitted to the College Scholars program and deemed a top graduate in the College of Arts and Sciences: Social Sciences. In 2004, she received a J.D., magna cum laude, with a concentration in advocacy and dispute resolution, from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

The Nashville School of Law thanks Professor Candi Henry for her time and dedication to this program. Henry helped create a well-orga- nized, successful RWE program during the past five years.

“I genuinely looked forward to reading every single one of the final projects submitted, and I always learned something—either about an area of law I was not familiar with or a way that a segment of the court system works,” said Henry. “It is inspiring to see how NSL students are positioning themselves to go out into the world and use their practices to address challenges in the legal system.”

Henry is the Chief Legal Counsel for the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC). The regional government entity, which includes 13 Tennessee counties, helps administer state and federal funds for highways, aging and disability assistance, and economic and community development programs.

The Rigorous Writing Exercise is a project all Nashville School of Law students embark on as a requirement of graduation. Working with a volunteer mentor from the legal community, students research and write a 15- to 20-page paper on the topic of their choice.

Our 2021-2022 Mentor of the Year award recipient is Tamika Parker ’15. The honor is conferred in recognition of a mentor’s exceptional service to the Rigorous Writing Exercise Program.

Parker obtained her undergraduate degree in engineering from Drexel University and her master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She has also undertaken a series of studies on the intersection of neuroscience and theology, and she applies all her knowledge and skills to help her clients. Parker has a private law practice in the Nashville area.

Each year, the students’ submissions are evaluated by a panel of legal writing experts, who determine finalists and award winners. The award is named for Robert L. Ballow, Esq., who has endowed the award with a generous contribution that allows for a cash award to the top three finalists annually. Ballow graduated from the School in 1963.

These Nashville School of Law students have been recognized for their writing achievement in the annual Robert Ballow Excellence in Writing Awards – a result of their performance in the Rigorous Writing Exercise.

Listed below are NSL student winners and their mentors.

2022 Winners / Mentors:

1st Place: Allison Wilson / Krisann Hodges

2nd Place (tie): Daimon Duggar /Eddie Herbert

2nd Place (tie): Amber Schlatter / Candi Henry

The Finalists: Mitzi Dorris, Jenna Huff, Shakira King, Joseph Swafford, Lily Ying

Sign up to be a mentor at Deansoffice@nsl.law

Luther E. Cantrell, Jr.

Heather Asbell

Cannon Cameron

Jenna Huff

Justice Cornelia Clark’s Access to Justice Memorial (Pro Bono)

Charlena Fuqua

Ben Mecklenborg

Allison Wilson

Class of 1974

Leanne Bender

Lavinia Fernandez

Class of 2022

Jonathan Braden

Jennifer Burch

Dakota Vermillion

Charlotte & Tom Cone

Megan Allen

Gerardo Alvarez

Katie Coats

Tyler Daniels

Jennifer Hudson

Amber King

Erica Paschall

Tyler Stanfield

Adam Tune