Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association Award Recipients

The Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association is calling for nominations for its annual A.A. Latting Awards to be presented at this year’s Barristers’ Ball on November 16, 2024. 

The Chapter named its annually awarded honors after Mr. Arvis “A.A.” Latting, Sr., who was one of the few practicing black lawyers in Memphis in the early 1940s.  Latting was also a professor at LeMoyne-Owen College where he mentored the “Founding Five” members of the Memphis Chapter including Ben F. Jones. The award recipients are honored at the Chapter’s annual Barristers’ Ball.

A.A. Latting Awards

YEAR | RECIPIENT FOR LEGAL EXCELLENCE | FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

1995  Judge Loyce Lambert Ryan |  Dr. Muhammad
1996  Donald Smart  |  Coleman Garrett
1999  Harrison McIver
2003  Veronica Coleman  |  Hon. Earnestine Hunt
2004  Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. |  Dr. Carol R. Johnson
2005  Percy Harvey  |  Johnnie Turner
2006  Judge Arthur Bennett |  A. Dell Stiner
2007  Hon. D’Army Bailey  |  Ernest Withers
2008  Former Mayor A C Wharton  |  Michael Cody
2009  Ruby Wharton  |  Hon. George Brown, Jr.
2010  Hon. Russell Sugarman  |  Hon. H.T. Lockard
2011  Judge Bernice Donald  |  Gregory Duckett
2012  Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. |  Frank Cantrell
2013  Judge Camille McMullen  |  Monica Wharton
2014  Chancellor Kenny Armstrong |  Melanie Murray
2015  Chancellor Walter Evans  |  Ed Stanton, III
2016  Sean Hunt  |  Judge Gina C. Higgins
2017  Laurice E. Smith  |  Mark A. Allen
2018  Terrence Reed  |  Alexander Wharton, Andre Wharton & Corey Strong
2019  Henry Reaves  |  Janika White & Kamilah Turner
2020  Tannera George Gibson |  Former Commissioner Van D. Turner Jr.
2021 Chancellor Gadson “Will” Perry | Senator Raumesh Akbari
2022 Retired Judge Jerry Stokes | Latrena Ingram

2023 Bruce McMullen | LaQuita Stokes & Damon Griffin 

The Ben F. Jones Chapter is in the process of memorializing all past recipients of the A.A. Latting Awards. If you have information regarding any of the years with missing recipients or if you have a correction to the above-mentioned list please email us at [email protected].