Legal Aid Of East Tennessee’s 60th Anniversary Honors Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon PLLC As Pro Bono Firm of the Year
Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott, & Cannon, PLLC
At Legal Aid of East Tennessee’s 60th Anniversary celebration on October 23, Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon, PLLC was honored as the organization’s Pro Bono Firm of the Year.
Member Sam Elliott said:
"Many lawyers in our firm have supported the efforts of Legal Aid of East Tennessee and other pro bono initiatives through the years, either directly providing pro bono services through LAET, through financial contributions to LAET or other worthy organizations, or through the Chattanooga Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, or the Tennessee Bar Foundation. We are humbled to be recognized in such a significant way."
At the 144th Annual Tennessee Bar Association Convention, David McDowell was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Fellows, and began another term of service as the East Tennessee Governor on the Tennessee Bar Association Board of Governors.
On July 1, 2025, Sam D. Elliott, a member of the firm, assumed the chairmanship of the Tennessee Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. A member of the Board since 2019, Sam will serve a one-year term as chairman. The Tennessee Bar Foundation was established in 1982. Its mission is to administer Tennessee’s IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) program, honor distinguished attorneys as "Fellows," and support law-related public interest projects. The IOLTA program supports Tennessee’s Legal Aid programs and other non-profit organizations which provide legal services to the poor and/or work to improve the administration of justice. Sam is a former president of the Tennessee and Chattanooga Bar Associations and also currently serves as Chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
