A retired Tennessee State University English professor has become the first non-lawyer vice chair of the state Board of Professional Responsibility which investigates complaints against attorneys and disciplines those who violate professional codes of conduct.
McDonald Williams of Nashville is the first lay person to hold the office since the board’s 1975 creation by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Williams, who earned a Ph.D and was a TSU faculty member for 30 years, was named to the board April 7, 1998. The 12 members, including nine lawyers, are appointed by the Supreme Court to three-year terms.
In 1996, the Supreme Court adopted a rule adding three non-attorney members to the board, increasing its membership from nine to 12. In its order, the court said the participation of lay members would “enhance public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the board’s disciplinary process and bring a valuable perspective to evaluation of complaints.”
Richard Fisher of Cleveland, a former state prosecutor and legislator, has been appointed chairman of the board, which is an arm of the Supreme Court.