Thomas W. Shumate IV

shumate

Education

  • J.D., Notre Dame Law School, ‘98
  • B.A., Vanderbilt University, English, ‘95

Extracurricular Activities While at NDLS

  • Marshall for Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity
  • G.A.L.I.L.E.E
  • volunteer at La Casa de Amistad
  • clerked for local firms: Hahn, Walz & Knepp; Botkin & Leone
  • Intramural flag football and floor hockey

Employment

Attorney, Evans, Jones & Reynolds, P.C.
Nashville, TN

Insights Regarding My Area of Practice

  • I practice civil litigation with an emphasis on professional liability defense, business and employment litigation, and appellate work.

Volunteer/Pro Bono Work

  • I am working on creating a moot court program for the Nashville Bar Association.
  • I am serving on a team that is creating a continuing legal education program for the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court on the ethical dilemnas surrounding the acceptance of new clients.
  • I continue to work on the development and growth of a civic group called “Nashville Emerging Leaders” which helps develop leadership skills in local business and community leaders.
  • I have served as an admissions volunteer for NDLS since 1999.
  • I served as Legal Counsel for the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce.
  • I have also volunteered for the Special Olympics and other charitable events such as the Jack & Back, a bike-ride fundraiser for multiple sclerosis research.

On Ethics and Morality:

“The practice of law has become so competitive that it is easy to confuse zealous representation with a win-at-all-costs attitude. My professors at NDLS taught the law within the context of religious values and principles and emphasized the difference between morality and legality. Now, rather than seeking every tactical advantage, I ask not whether I can take a particular course of action, but whether I should. Doing so has made me a better lawyer, because it forces me to focus on a lawyer’s role as a peacemaker rather than getting caught up in the gamesmanship that is often involved in litigation.”

On the Notre Dame Law School Reputation:

“NDLS has a strong reputation in the Nashville legal community. Local attorneys and judges recognize NDLS’s tradition of academic excellence and its emphasis on producing ethical lawyers. While Tennessee has several other good law schools, the market is so saturated with graduates from those schools that my degree from NDLS helps me to stand out from the crowd. It is very satisfying to have a degree from a university that commands both respect and notice from the local Bar. (Since I live in the South, it is also very satisfying to have a degree from a university that commands respect on the gridiron!)”