Founded in 1881, the Tennessee Bar Association is dedicated to enhancing fellowship among members of the state's legal community. A strictly voluntary association, the TBA offers its members a variety of programs and services designed to assist in professional development. In addition, through its public relations activities, the TBA endeavors to build a positive image for the profession in the community.

The TBA membership represents the entire spectrum of the legal community, from plaintiff and defense attorneys to judges, government and legal services attorneys, corporate counsel, and a number of attorneys residing outside the state who retain an interest in the Tennessee legal profession.

Membership in the TBA provides  access to a number of programs and services designed to help become a better practitioner.

History 

On December 14, 1881, 69 Tennessee lawyers signed the Charter of Incorporation establishing the Tennessee Bar Association. In the century since, the TBA has been dedicated to improving the legal professional and the administration of justice.

From the beginning, the TBA set high standards for its objectives — to foster legal education, maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of law, to cultivate professional ethics, to encourage social interchange among members, and to promote improvements in the law and the modes of its administration.

Topics discussed during the first annual convention in 1882 included a review of statutory changes that had taken place in the state and in Congress during the year. Other topics included whether a legislature can make a contract that surrenders the power of future legislatures to enact laws, interstate commerce and the regulation of railroads, and the legal rights of married women.