More than 700 Tennessee lawyers have already completed the TBA's 2013 survey. Make your voice heard today by taking about 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire that was recently emailed to you. The results will be tabulated and analyzed by Yacoubian Research of Memphis/Nashville. Please be assured that the results will be presented in aggregate form so that your individual responses can remain anonymous and confidential. If you did not receive the survey or have other questions about it, contact TBA Membership Director Kelly Stosik.

Online tools and software geared toward lawyers aren’t new, but in the Tennessee Bar Journal's March issue Stephan Futeral says we are past the days of dragging the laptop into court. In the “Post-PC” era, tablet computing is a game-changer for the 21st-century practice of law -- and you need to be in the game. You can end your week with a laugh as Bill Haltom looks back fondly on the days when he wasn't carrying an iPad, but took the World Almanac to court in his briefcase. Read these and more in the new issue of the TBJ.

Tennessee attorneys should receive an email survey from Yacoubian Research in the next few days requesting participation in the 2013 Tennessee Bar Association Attorney Survey. It will take about 15 minutes to complete. Please take the time to participate. Results from the survey will be analyzed and used to influence TBA benefits, programs and initiatives.

In the February Tennessee Bar Journal, James M. Davis covers the effects updates to the TCPA had on relief available to consumers and businesses. Steven W. Feldman analyzes employee handbooks and makes the distinction between employee contractual rights and workplace policies. Columnists cover differences in state and federal pleading standards, demonstrative evidence and long-term care planning.

LawPay: Credit Card Processing has just joined the lineup of companies offering TBA members special programming and pricing. Members who sign up for the program before Feb. 28 will see the $150 virtual terminal fee and the program fee for the first three months waived. LawPay has experience working with lawyers in 34 states and can help you easily accept credit and debit card payments from clients while being confident that transactions between trust and operating accounts are handled correctly.

LawPay: Credit Card Processing has just joined the lineup of companies offering TBA members special programming and pricing. Members who sign up for the program before Feb. 28 will see the $150 virtual terminal fee and the program fee for the first three months waived. LawPay has experience working with lawyers in 34 states and can help you easily accept credit and debit card payments from clients while being confident that transactions between trust and operating accounts are handled correctly. Learn more about this new TBA member benefit.

Lawyers in Tennessee are helping those who need it, not only through pro bono representation, but by working to change the structure and services available. The January Tennessee Bar Journal details efforts like new funding and rules for court interpreters and a new legal telephone hotline, 1-888-aLEGALz.

In the December Tennessee Bar Journal, Nashville lawyer Bill Walton writes why he believes the Collateral Source Rule should probably be reexamined. President Jackie Dixon talks with some former lawyer-legislators and studies the sacrifice a person makes to run for office, but also the need for more lawyers to serve. There is a lot more in this issue, including civil jury trials, banking and estate planning. Read it online or look in the stack of your weekend mail for the printed copy.

On Dec. 31, the $5.2 million gift-tax exemption expires, making your job helping your clients with year-end gifts even more important. Hunter Mobley and Jeffrey Mobley help you know the details for this year in the November Tennessee Bar Journal. The issue also gives a glimpse into the history of Nashville's Supreme Court Building in preparation for its 75th anniversary celebration next month. Read these and much more -- and don't miss Jackie Dixon's president's column and Bill Haltom's humor column as they both give their takes on being thankful -- and how cornbread figures in.

The Tennessee Bar Journal this month studies the state’s real property rules and the available tools in an article by Chancellor Telford E. Forgety Jr., George W. Kuney and Devin P. Lyon. Also, Mark C. Travis explains the T.E.A.M Act, involving public sector employment law. President Jackie Dixon stresses the importance of civility, especially for lawyers, and columnists Don Paine, Edward G. Phillips and Monica J. Franklin update you on evidence, the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act, and Medicaid in Estate Recovery, respectively. Bill Haltom explores the thinking of jurors who in a recent case dressed alike or with a coordinated theme every day of the trial. Look in your mailbox for the October issue, or read the Journal online