Quinton Thompson, president of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and an attorney at the Memphis office of Morgan & Morgan, has earned a place among the American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers. Congratulations! Learn more about the recognition program.

The TBA Leadership Program (TBALL) Class of 2023 convened in Chattanooga last week for a symposium on Issues in the Courts. On Thursday, the group discussed the Ed Johnson Project with U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Collier and Donivan Brown of the Horton-Keller Center. In the afternoon, the group heard from a panel moderated by Judge Mike Dumitru of the Hamilton County Circuit Court, featuring U.S. District Chief Judge Travis McDonough and Judge John McClarty of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. On Friday, the group reconvened at the law office of Chambliss Bahner & Stophel for a lively discussion on mental health and drug courts with Judge Alexander McVeagh of the Hamilton County General Sessions Court and Judge Andrew Freiberg, Circuit Court Judge, Pt. III. TBALL members also heard from Dave Bhattachary of University Surgical Associates about juvenile court issues and discussed diversity in the courts with Ardena Garth, president of Chattanooga Endeavors, and Wade A. Hinton, CEO and founder of Hinton & Company. See photos from the event and learn more about TBALL and how to get involved in 2024.

The TBA’s BarBuzz podcast and its executive producer Kate Prince have received the top media award from the NABE national legal communications group. Now in its third year, the monthly podcast is an anchor for the TBA’s Podcast Network, which includes four other shows. Each episode features a quick and entertaining rundown of Tennessee legal news, bar association events and announcements and shoutouts to members who deserve a #humblebrag. To date it has recorded more than 7,000 downloads. Prince, who is the TBA’s Digital Media & Leadership Development Coordinator, also co-hosts the program, which features a different member each month as co-host.

TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson and Littler Managing Shareholder Jen Robinson recently wrote in the Nashville Business Journal that, “The need to put a spotlight on diversity, equality and inclusion efforts in our workplaces has never been more clear.” The pair share steps employers can take to create diverse and inclusive workplaces. First among their recommendations is understanding that diversity and inclusion are different, and that diversity does not always guarantee inclusion. Once diverse employees are hired, it is important to provide them with the tools, opportunities and professional connections to succeed, they write. They also call on leaders to strive to normalize conversations around race, ensure workplace policies against racism are implemented, and provide regular training for workers on how to foster an antiracist culture, minimize microaggressions and recognize and reduce unconscious biases.

The Tennessee Courts website gave a positive review to a TBA program designed to help lawyers improve their appellate briefs and oral arguments. The “Best Practices in Appellate Courts” session was offered as part of the 24th Annual Labor and Employment Law Forum. Several judges participated and outlined key elements in the appellate process. Justice Holly Kirby praised the effort to improve appellate work saying, “It’s just a joy to have an appeal with really good lawyers. It just makes my heart sing. When we receive a well-crafted brief, when we have a well-prepared lawyer at oral argument, we come away just smiling.” 

Don't forget to submit a nomination for the TBA's third annual Fourth Estate Award, which honors courageous reporting on justice and the law. Prior winners include the WSMV Channel 4 I-Team in Nashville for its reporting on Judge Casey Moreland, and Steven Hale of the Nashville Scene for his coverage of the executions of Billy Ray Irick, David Earl Miller and Edmund Zagorski, and capital punishment more generally in Tennessee. Learn more about the award or make a nomination now. The deadline for entries is May 29.

The Tennessee Bar Association has opened the nomination period for the third annual Fourth Estate Award: Honoring Courageous Reporting on Justice and the Law. Prior winners were the WSMV Channel 4 I-Team in Nashville for its reporting on Judge Casey Moreland and Steven Hale of the Nashville Scene for his coverage of the executions of Billy Ray Irick, David Earl Miller and Edmund Zagorski, and capital punishment more generally in Tennessee. Learn more about the award or make a nomination now.

The Citizen Tribune in Morristown features this month’s Tennessee Bar Journal cover story as a timely look at the legal issues of dealing with a pandemic. The piece, written by retired Newport attorney William O. Shults, examines the use of mandatory isolation and quarantines and how such measures affect personal liberty and constitutional rights. In case you missed it, read “Tennessee Law in the Time of Pandemic Disease” here.

Voting began today in the 2020 TBA election. Two candidates are competing for the vice presidential office — Knoxville attorneys Shelly Wilson and Tasha Blakney — with voting continuing through April 1. The vice president will serve in that role in the 2020-2021 bar year, then as president-elect the following year, and TBA president in 2022-2023. Access to the electronic ballot box was sent to all TBA members today from the email address vote@electionsonline.com.  Please check your spam filters if you did not receive a ballot notification. Please feel free to reach out to elections@tnbar.org if you have any questions or concerns. 

In preparation for the upcoming TBA Elections, the profiles of the two candidates in a contested race for the office of vice president (Shelly Wilson and Tasha Blakney) were emailed to the membership on Friday. Voting begins on March 2 and members should receive an email on Monday with voting instructions. All current members will be able to vote in the race for vice president. Ballots will come from the vote@electionsonline.com email address, so please check your spam filters if you do not receive a ballot notification. Please feel free to reach out to elections@tnbar.org if you have any questions or concerns. Voting ends April 1.