Belmont University’s College of Law held its first-ever Barrister’s Ball March 22 at the Hutton Hotel, turning the traditional law school event into a fundraiser for locally based ‘Both Hands Foundation.’ Organized by the college’s Student Bar Association, the Barrister’s Ball was a semi-formal event that celebrated the coming completion of the academic year and allowed a number of student and faculty awards to be presented. Congressman Marsha Blackburn served as the event’s keynote speaker.

“Our hope for the Inaugural Barristers’ Ball is to establish a tradition at the College of Law of being heavily invested in the Nashville community,” said Robert ‘Jaz’ Boon (class of 2014), president of Belmont’s Student Bar Association. “Barristers’ Balls are a staple event at law schools across the country, but our goal was to go beyond a social event and find a way to connect locally.”

Boon added that the student planning committee determined the Barrister’s Ball would be a fundraiser to benefit a locally based nonprofit.

“The student body chose the Both Hands Foundation because they are a local organization that works with some of the most vulnerable people in our society—orphans and widows,” he said. “As our law program grows, we hope that our ability to be an asset to Nashville and the state of Tennessee grows accordingly.”

The Belmont University College of Law students raised $5,000 for Both Hands and presented the organization a check on the night of the event.