Our Founder

Our firm is built on the legacy of our founding partner, George Barrett. Upon his passing in 2014, Vice President Al Gore called him “a beacon of progressive politics for three generations of Tennesseans.” Known as “The Citizen,” George made a career representing the underdog against the most powerful interests in society, taking on authority figures with righteous indignation whenever they were abusing power.

The Civil Rights Movement

In the 1960s, George became a central figure in the Civil Rights movement. He represented college students in the sit-in movement – one of the few white lawyers in the South to take up the cause. In 1968, he brought one of his most significant cases, Geier v. Tennessee, which resulted in the desegregation of Tennessee’s state universities. George litigated the case for more than 38 years, achieving systematic change to how higher education is funded in Tennessee. In the 1990s, George led litigation against his alma mater, Vanderbilt, on behalf of women who unknowingly ingested radioactive iron while they were pregnant in the 1940s as part of a “nutrition study.” George’s commitment to representing the most vulnerable citizens was a constant theme in his career.