2013 Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award Winner, Judge Paulette Delk
The Marion Griffin-Frances Loring award is named
after its very first recipient, Frances Grant Loring and Marion Griffin, the
first woman to be elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Chief Judge
of the Bankruptcy Court for the Western Division of Tennessee David S. Kennedy
introduced the Hon. Judge Delk. He
remarked that she must have touched the lives of some 2000 students during her
19-year tenure as a law professor at the University of Memphis from 1987 to
2006. She also taught as an adjunct professor for four
years.
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| Photograph by Kim Brukardt (l to r) Judge David Kennedy, Judge Paulette Delk, AWA President Frances Riley |
Judge Delk recognized her husband, Dr. Sam Delk, a general surgeon, who
encouraged her to attend law school when she thought age 28 was too old to
pursue the profession. “Twenty-eight seemed old back then,” she said with a
smile in her voice to laughter in the audience.
Judge Delk also introduced her cousin, Steven, a FedEx pilot, and his
wife Linda. She had many supporters that
night to represent each important step in her career, including The Links,
Incorporated organization and its Shelby County Chapter President Mrs. Lillian
Brown, who offered a bouquet of flowers during a congratulatory presentation.
“I met Frances Loring at my very first AWA meeting and she was so
welcoming and supportive,” said Judge Delk.
“I am so very honored to receive the award that bears her name.” She
went on to emphasize throughout her speech the importance of supporting others
in the field as well as encouraging future attorneys and being open to
receiving advice. “You may note that
the name of the organization is Association FOR Women Attorneys and not OF
Women Attorneys. My recollection is that
the use of the word ‘for’ is purposeful to encourage anyone who is dedicated to
supporting women attorneys.” She also
shared the fact that AWA has male members.
She referenced one male who received the Marion Griffin-Frances Loring
Award, referring to the 1995 recipient, Blanchard E. Tual, partner in Tual
Graves, PLLC, who revealed to the Memphis Daily News that he had not
hired a man since 1995 and that women were more detailed and focused.
“The organization (AWA) seeks to provide role models and mentors
especially to women who are just starting the practice of law. No one has all of the answers, but experience
is a sound teacher,” Judge Delk went on to say.
“Any success that I have had was made possible by my role models growing
up as a child in Daphne, Ala.,” she continued, referring to her mother, Pauline
H. Jones and her father, William O.
Jones, her two “aunts” (her mom’s best friends) Sara B. Taylor and Eleanor P.
Harpe who were schoolteachers, as well as Principal Walker J. Carroll and Assistant
Principal Leslie C. Taylor. “I attended totally segregated schools from 1st
through 12th Grades, sat at discarded desks, read from
discarded textbooks and had to get my own specimens for biology labs. But I had wonderful role models who took the
time to make sure I was exposed to the outside world through books and travel.
“After all of the billable hours are
over and done with, your friendships will be what you will treasure and will
cherish the most – right up there with your family,” said Judge Delk. She then closed by quoting Lifetime
Achievement recipient and Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster, “Love
people, and stand beside them.”
BIO
United
States Bankruptcy Judge
Western
District of Tennessee
Hon.
Paulette Jones Delk
24th
recipient of the Association for Women Attorneys
Marion
Griffin-Frances Loring Award
Originally from Daphne, Ala., Paulette
J. Delk also resided in Nashville, Atlanta and Chicago prior to making Memphis
her current address. She was appointed
judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of
Tennessee on July 1, 2006.
Judge Delk received her bachelor’s
degree in French from Fisk University, her master’s in social work from Atlanta
University and her juris doctorate from DePaul University in Chicago. During
law school, Judge Delk served as a bankruptcy extern for the Hon. Frederick J.
Hertz, bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Illinois. After law school, Judge Delk became an
associate with Winston & Strawn in Chicago, specifically the Creditors’
Rights Section. Later, she became an
associate with the Heiskell Donelson law firm (now Baker Donelson in Memphis)
in its Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Section.
In 1987, Judge Delk began her career as a law professor
with the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law where she
taught Debtor-Creditor Law, Secured Transactions, Remedies, Franchising and
Business Reorganizations under the Bankruptcy Code. As a law professor, Judge Delk received a
fellowship from the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, and served as
faculty dean for the American Board of Certification (the organization which
certifies lawyers as bankruptcy and creditors’ rights specialists). She is a former recipient of the U of M Law
Alumni Chapter’s Teaching Excellence Award.
Judge Delk also has been published
widely in the area of bankruptcy law and serves as a frequent speaker at
bankruptcy and Uniform Commercial Code seminars.
Judge Delk is a member of several legal organizations
including the Association for Women Attorneys and the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the
National Bar Association. She also is a member of many
national organizations including The Links, Incorporated where members address
African-American issues in health and education, bringing resources and
volunteerism to the table. And, she is a
member of National Smart Set, an organization of cultural, social and
charitable focus. In service to her community, Judge Delk also
delivers meals for MIFA.
Judge Delk and her husband, Dr. Sam
Delk, reside in East Memphis. They have
two adult children: Phillip and Allison.
