Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Garrah Carter-Mason was named the recipient of the Tennessee Bar Association’s prestigious Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award. Garrah was recognized for her pro bono work securing the release of Darrell Davis, an individual who had been incarcerated for almost nine years for a crime he did not commit and was serving a life without the possibility of parole sentence. Working alongside attorneys at Choosing Justice Initiative and others at Bass, Berry & Sims, the legal team secured a rare retrial and subsequent not guilty verdict for Darrell in a case that underscored the significant systemic challenges for indigent defendants in Tennessee’s criminal justice system. Read more about Darrell’s case here.
Dawn Deaner, founder of Choosing Justice Initiative and former Nashville Public Defender, co-led the legal team with Garrah and said in her nomination of Garrah for this award that “It is extremely rare for a person to win a motion for new trial. Garrah’s willingness to help Darrell from the beginning and her steadfast commitment to him was extraordinary. It is not an understatement to say she got his life back for him.”
The Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award is presented in recognition of attorneys in private or corporate practice who have contributed significant amounts of pro bono work, either in terms of numbers of cases handled or significance of the work, as well as a demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to indigent clients. Garrah follows fellow Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys and alumni that have been recognized by the TBA for their pro bono work, including John Golwen (2024), Angie Bergman (2019), Wendee Hilderbrand (2012), Ross Booher (2008), David Esquivel (2006), Riney Green (1994) and Brook Lathram (1992).
TBA will recognize Garrah and other 2026 award recipients at its Annual Convention in Knoxville on June 11. Details about the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Award can be found online, “TBA to Present Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award to Nashville Lawyer.”
Garrah Carter-Mason
Garrah is an associate in the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group where she represents clients in complex business litigation, government investigations, criminal defense, and healthcare-related investigations. Learn more about Garrah’s practice here.