David McKinney didn’t wait until the tail end of his career to give back. The University of Memphis law alumnus and his wife, Dr. Shanea McKinney, recently launched the David E. McKinney Law Fellowship at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law—and they did it while still in what most would consider their prime earning years.
The fellowship is designed to ease the financial burden on talented and diverse law students, allowing them to focus on the academic and experiential rigor that makes a Memphis Law degree worth having.
“The degree I earned at the University of Memphis School of Law has served as the cornerstone of my professional life and career success, opening doors that once seemed out of reach,” McKinney said. “This fellowship is designed to ensure that those same doors remain open, and most optimistically expand, for the next generation of leaders.”
Built From Experience
McKinney’s path to law wasn’t predetermined. A business major at UofM, he was noticed by a professor in his junior year, who asked if he’d ever considered law school. By that Friday, McKinney and his father were driving to Atlanta for a law school admissions fair.
He ended up back home at Memphis Law, where the Tennessee Institute for Pre-Law program prepared him for the demands ahead. What he found there—rigorous academics, internships, clerkships, lifelong connections—gave him the confidence to compete with anyone from any school.
“I knew I had the ability to compete with anyone from any other school,” he said. “And that is a credit to the environment created at Memphis Law.”
After graduating, McKinney went on to build a career spanning law, public policy, and corporate leadership. He currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources at AutoZone and sits on the Board of Trustees at the University of Memphis. Shanea is Senior Advisor of Product Management at Cigna Healthcare, a University of Tennessee Board of Trustees member, and the first person of color to serve on the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy. She was recently appointed to the education oversight board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools by Governor Bill Lee.
The Message
The McKinneys are deliberate about what this fellowship teaches—not just the recipients, but their own son Gethers and potential donors watching from the sidelines.
“When it comes to giving and philanthropy, taking that first step is critically important,” McKinney said. “The need is now. You can make an impact right now. Don’t wait. Just do it.”
The hope is that today’s recipients become tomorrow’s givers—launching their own fellowships, mentoring the next class, and multiplying the impact forward.
“So many people helped my wife and I out during our careers,” he said. “What we’re trying to show is that a part of giving forward is giving back for us.”
