The Mississippi Bar Foundation has named Butler Snow attorney Andrea La’Verne Edney president for the 2019-2020 year. Edney’s term began Aug. 1.
“We congratulate La’Verne on this significant appointment,” said Donald Clark, Jr., chairman of Butler Snow. “We look forward to her continued vision and leadership as she serves the foundation and helps chart their future strategy.”
Founded in 1963, the bar foundation’s purpose is two-fold: to honor attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the profession and to administer a grant making program. That project, known by its acronym “IOLTA” (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts), has awarded grants in excess of $12 million to law-related, public interest projects throughout Mississippi. The foundation has also provided scholarship assistance and support to both of the state’s law schools and has financially supported law-related public education programs, such as the statewide high school mock trial competition, to improve public understanding of the legal system.
Edney is a member of Butler Snow’s litigation department and practices in the pharmaceutical, medical device and health care litigation group. With more than 22 years of litigation experience, she has significant trial experience in state and federal courts in Mississippi and other states, and has tried to verdict numerous cases, including medical negligence, premises liability, products liability, bad faith insurance, employment disputes and legal malpractice.
Edney has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for mass torts/class actions – defendants and personal injury litigation, by Martindale-Hubbell® with an AV-Preeminent Peer Review rating, by The National Black Lawyers as a Top 100, by the Mississippi Business Journal as a Fifty Leaders of Law and by the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association as its Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Lawyer of the Year Award from Mississippi College School of Law, the Distinguished Service Award from The Mississippi Bar and the Outstanding Service Award from the Capital Area Bar Association, the Magnolia Bar Association and the Black Student Law Association. She recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association.
Edney is a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and a member of the American, Mississippi, Capital Area, Fifth Circuit and Tennessee Bar Associations, the Metro Jackson Black Women Lawyers Association and the Mississippi Women Lawyers Association. She received her undergraduate degree from Alcorn State University and her Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law.
