The 2nd Annual TBA Diversity Job Fair kicks off today in Nashville with a panel discussion and reception for participants. Close to 100 law students from 22 law schools will be interviewing with 18 law firms and agencies from across Tennessee during the two-day event at the Tennessee Bar Center. This afternoon begins with a panel discussion about finding a job in the current market, with TBA President Jackie Dixon; Rob McGuire of the District Attorney General's Office; Bridgestone's Sue Palmer; and Stacey Garrett, with Bone McAllester Norton. Special thanks to Husch Blackwell LLP for being an event sponsor.

Don't miss the September Tennessee Bar Journal, featuring two articles on arbitration. One, by Adam Eckstein, explores when Rule 31 and the Tennessee Uniform Arbitration Act meet; the second, by Shelby R. Grubbs and Glenn P. Hendrix, unveils a new international concept for arbitration services. Columnists Marlene Eskind Moses and Beth A. Townsend give you ideas for finding hidden assest in divorces, and John A. Day discusses distribution of net proceeds in wrongful death cases. Humor columnist Bill Haltom pays tribute to a queen and a princess -- Pat Summitt and the influence she has had on his daughter and many other girls. President Jackie Dixon speaks out about merit selection. You probably already have it in hand, but you can also read it online here

Elizabeth “Liz” Slagle Todaro joined the TBA staff this week to begin training as the new Access to Justice and Public Education Coordinator. She will take over later this fall when Sarah Hayman, who currently fills those roles, departs to have her first child. Todaro, a graduate of the City University of New York Law School, most recently led Nashville Debate – a comprehensive debate program for high school students. She also has served in a consulting role with the YWCA as a community educator and outreach coordinator for the agency’s Domestic Violence Center, and as program director for the Family and Children’s Service Crisis Center. A native of Nashville, Todaro graduated from Hume-Fogg High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from Emory University and worked in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., prior to attending law school.

Brittany Sims will join the Tennessee Bar Association next week as coordinator for the TBA Leadership Law program. A Nashville native, Sims graduated from Hampton University in Hampton, Va., then returned to Nashville to work as a VISTA volunteer with AmeriCorp. While pursuing a graduate degree at Tennessee State University, Sims worked with the TSU Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement and then moved on to become a program coordinator there. In addition, she serves as assistant volleyball coach at Fisk University. Her degree is in public administration, with a certificate in nonprofit management. At the TBA, Sims also will join the team that gathers news for the daily TBA Today newsletter and TBA website.

A new, discounted, long-term care plan is now available to Tennessee Bar Association members and their families. Long-term care services help you maximize your independence and protect your nest egg. Call Graham Swafford at the Tennessee Bar Center for details at 615-383-7421.

The Tennessee Bar Association is upgrading it website servers this weekend, which may cause some interruptions in service on Sunday evening. The TBA appreciates your patience during this process.

The spotlight has been on Chief Justice John Roberts this summer, but in this month's Tennessee Bar Journal you will see that the 17 occupants of his position have had a history of making history. Also, Taylor J. Phillips looks at how to respond to government procedures. TBA President Jackie Dixon urges you in her column to remember someone who helped you when you first started practicing law, and to do the same for a new lawyer now. Columnist Kathryn Reed Edge explains the different worries that bankers and bank lawyers have, Don Paine explains writ of error coram nobis, while Bill Haltom exposes the gaffes of news reporters who rushed to judgment when the Supreme Court went public with its recent Affordable Care Act decision. He also gives readers his secret on how to read an opinion quickly and correctly. Also in this issue, Dan W. Holbrook wraps up nearly 12 years as a TBJ columnist with information on how to manage gift tax. Holbrook passes the torch to his colleague, Knoxville lawyer Eddy R. Smith, who will begin writing the estate column this fall. Look for the August Journal in your mailbox, or read it online

More than 2,000 people now get regular updates on news from the Tennessee legal community by following the Tennessee Bar Association on Twitter. You can also watch for regular updates on the TBA's Facebook page or sign up to join the Tennessee Bar Association group on LinkedIn.

The July Tennessee Bar Journal is hot with steamy details about alimony in Tennessee and how its laws have evolved along with family dynamics. Check out the article by Amy J. Amundsen and Mary L. Wagner. Jackie Dixon outlines her initiatives as the TBA’s new president — you may be surprised to learn that Grainger County tomatoes play a role. Columnists Wade V. Davies, Don Paine and Bill Haltom cover inadvertent admissions, venue in civil actions and how William Shakespeare fared in a recent plagiarism trial. Look in your mailbox or read it online. Remember, members who are logged in may comment at the end of the electronic articles, so let us hear from you.

The Tennessee Bar Association membership renewal program for 2012-2013 is now open online. Visit the TBA Online Membership page today to make sure you don’t miss a day of TBA member services or benefits. When you renew online, you not only save time, you also save your association the cost of printing and mailing your renewal statement -- and you save the trees that would go into making all of that paper. It's quick, and it's easy! Renew now and relax; your membership will be assured for another year.