Tennessee Bar Journal editor Suzanne Craig Robertson today celebrated 30 years of service to the TBA. "For decades, the Tennessee Bar Journal has been the finest bar publication in the country," TBA President Lucian Pera said. "And, much as I love our editorial board members and authors — I've been in both camps — I bet they'd all agree with me that the most important reason is Suzanne Robertson. Even though many don't know it, the entire Tennessee legal community owes an immense debt of gratitude for her service." Robertson also received congratulations from her colleagues at the National Association of Bar Executives' Communication Section, which is meeting this week in St. Louis. The group has named the Journal best in the country several times during her tenure. 

The Tennessee Bar Association's educational series on the evolving legal market today was recognized as the best in the state by the Tennessee Society of Association Executives. The series was conceived and implemented by the TBA Special Committee on the Evolving Legal Market under the leadership of former TBA President Gail Ashworth. The Modern Law Practice Series consisted of four programs educating Tennessee attorneys about online dispute resolution, legal services management companies (such as Counsel on Call), artificial intelligence and consumer-facing services (such as Avvo and LegalZoom). All programs are still available for viewing as webcasts.

Fastcase has released its annual Fastcase 50 list, and the 2017 class includes TBA Executive Director Emeritus Allan Ramsaur. Started in 2011, Fastcase 50 honors “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Of Ramsaur, the organization noted that he “built his career dedicated to helping those in need, including taking a leading role in the revision of Tennessee's conservatorship laws. A new focus of Allan’s leadership is helping lawyers and the legal system to adapt to the evolving legal market.”

The Tennessee Bar Association today named Nashville lawyer Joycelyn Stevenson as its new executive director. A shareholder with Littler Mendelson PC with a practice focused on labor and employment law, Stevenson has been a leader in the Tennessee legal community, serving as president of both the Nashville Bar Association and the Lawyers’ Association for Women - Marion Griffin Chapter. She is the first African-American woman to lead both organizations and will be the first African-American woman to direct the TBA. “We are thrilled to have Joycelyn bring her talents, experience and vision to the Tennessee Bar Association. This is an exciting hire for all Tennessee lawyers,” TBA President Jason Long said in announcing the appointment.