The TBA Mentoring Committee, in collaboration with the TBA Young Lawyers Division, will hold a special event — "Developing Lawyers, Developing Leaders: A CLE on Mentorship and Professional Excellence" — on Jan. 30 at Belmont University College of Law's Baskin Center. Make plans now to join TBA President Heidi Barcus; Marshall County General Sessions Court Judge Lee Bussart; University of Tennessee Winston College of Law professor Joan Heminway; Amy Schmisseur, chair of Belmont University's Department of Communication Studies; Joseph Hubbard of Polsinelli; and Toyin Edogun of Bass Berry & Sims as they explore topics of mentorship, leadership and communication across one's legal career. The day of "Mocktails and Mentorship" will include lunch and three hours of CLE programming, followed by a networking event and the opportunity to mix mocktails together. The program is free for law students. Register by Jan. 25.

The TBA’s Young Lawyers Division will host the inaugural YLD Business College: Transactional Law Essentials on April 10 in Nashville, offering an in-person program designed as a practical refresher and foundation for new and young attorneys, as well as lawyers seeking to strengthen their transactional practice skills. The program will focus on core concepts, ethical considerations and emerging issues in business law, with sessions covering topics such as closing the deal, business ethics, business formation and hot topics, and will feature faculty including Laura Chastain of the Board of Professional Responsibility, Claire Tuley of Baker Donelson and John Wagster of Eden Firm PLLC. Registration opens at 9 a.m., with programming running from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All times Central.

The TBA will host the 2026 Construction Law Forum on Jan. 23 at the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Bradley L. Barrett Training Center in Nashville. The full-day continuing legal education program, offering 6.5 hours of CLE credit, will offer two learning tracks. The first will offer introductory sessions in the morning covering lien rights, case law updates and common construction law mistakes. The afternoon sessions will focus on the Prompt Pay Act, delay claims, ethics and artificial intelligence in construction law. Participants may register for morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, with programming designed to benefit both new and seasoned construction law practitioners. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

Step into the world of Dunder Mifflin and explore the antics of Michael Scott to uncover critical lessons in professionalism with Stuart Teicher. Learning objectives include the need for lawyers to preserve the dignity and integrity of the legal profession through appropriate conduct; demonstrate faithfulness, competence and diligence in client representation; counsel clients effectively on informed decision-making and alternative dispute resolution; maintain civility and respect in dealings with opposing counsel; strive for excellence in advocacy while being a moral voice for clients and society; and model respect for courts through honesty, knowledge and appropriate conduct. Visit the TBA website for more information.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m. CST, the TBA will host “In the Professional Spotlight: Public Speaking for Attorneys”, a program led by Mimi Bliss of Bliss Communications, focusing on practical communication skills for lawyers who speak at conferences, moderate panels, appear on podcasts or address audiences on video and television. The program will provide actionable guidance on building confidence, creating concise and engaging content, moderating effective panel discussions, communicating clearly in virtual and on-camera settings, handling media interviews and responding to challenging questions. Building on techniques from Bliss’s Essential Presentation Skills for Attorneys CLE, the course is designed to help attorneys strengthen their professional presence across in-person, virtual and media platforms. Visit the TBA website for more information and to register.

The TBA will offer 2025–26 Ethics Update on Dec. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. CST, providing attorneys with an opportunity to earn ethics and dual credit before the end of the year. Presented by Heather Piper, disciplinary counsel with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, the one-hour webcast will review recent ethics updates, disciplinary trends and notable rulings, and provide practical guidance on avoiding common pitfalls, including issues involving communication and social media. Registration is available through the TBA website.

The webcast replay of Legislative Update 2025 will be Dec. 29 from 3 to 4 p.m. CST . The session, presented by TBA's Government Affairs team, reviews key legislation from the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly affecting Tennessee lawyers. It features Ashley Harbin and Brad Lampley of Adams & Reese LLP in Nashville, along with Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC. Visit the TBA website to register. 

The TBA will offer a webcast replay of Ted Lasso and Attorney Ethics: Lessons in Life, Law, and Leadership from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 29, featuring ethics educator Stuart Teicher, known as The CLE Performer. The program uses scenes from the first season of the television series "Ted Lasso" to examine the Rules of Professional Conduct, including communication, competence, integrity, supervisory responsibilities and conflicts of interest, and connects themes of leadership, collaboration and perseverance to real-world ethical challenges faced by attorneys. See the TBA website for more information.

From Lennon and McCartney to Jagger and Richards, the greatest rock and roll collaborations offer more than unforgettable music—they reveal the dynamics of trust, communication and ethical boundaries that are just as vital in the practice of law. Join the CLE Performer, Stuart Teicher, on Dec. 26 at 3 p.m. CST for a CLE program that connects the Rules of Professional Conduct to real-world examples from legendary rock partnerships. Explore how these iconic collaborations can teach attorneys about managing conflicts of interest, maintaining competence and fostering effective communication. Get ready to learn ethical lessons that will leave you humming a better tune in your legal practice. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The legal profession demands excellence under pressure, but over time, unrelenting stress can erode clarity, focus and well-being. Left unchecked, chronic tension undermines productivity, clouds judgment, strains relationships and increases the risk of ethical missteps. Join your colleagues to develop mindful law practice management skills and tools that strengthen focus, organization and long-term success in your law practice and beyond. This webcast on Dec. 29 at 9 a.m. CST explores how intentional awareness can transform how you organize your workload, manage communications and navigate conflict. Visit the TBA website for more information.