The TBA International Law Section will host a virtual CLE program on Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon CDT. Program topics will include trade promotion, a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion, international investments and more hot topics. International Law Section members will receive a discounted price for the program. Not a member? Sign up today.  

Chronic stress has the potential to cripple productivity levels and thwart effective advocacy for clients, but just one or two minutes of meditation and mindfulness can have immediate and far-reaching benefits, personally and professionally. Join the “How Mindfulness Can Help You Avoid Legal Burnout, Continue to Competently Perform Legal Services, and Remain Ethically Compliant” webcast on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. CDT for specific methods of integrating mindfulness into day-to-day law practice. Read more on the program and register here.

The 2021 Dispute Resolution Forum will take place Nov. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. This live virtual event will feature sessions on conducting successful virtual mediations and arbitrations, making sure digital platforms are secure, and avoiding bias in the arbitration field. Speakers include Adrienne Anderson with Anderson Busby in Knoxville, Larry Bridgesmith with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Michael Russell (Nashville) and Winter Wheeler with Miles Mediation & Arbitration, and Mark Travis with Travis ADR Services in Cookeville.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s annual Health Law Primer and Forum being offered virtually this year. The Primer, which will run from noon to 4:30 p.m. CDT on Oct. 20, will provide an introduction to health law practice, including an overview of Tennessee law, fraud and abuse fundamentals, licensing and contracting. Then on Oct. 21-22, the annual Health Law Forum will provide a deeper dive into transactions, fraud and abuse, physician discipline, claims coding, HIPAA, recent state court cases, and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. That program provides 15 hours of CLE credit.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s Environmental Law Forum set for Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. The forum will be presented virtually. Watch for more information coming soon and thanks to Chattanooga attorney and section chair Jennifer Brundige with the Tennessee Valley Authority for producing this year’s event.

The TBA invites lawyers to join a roundtable discussion on Sept. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT to learn more about hybrid law firms, which combine elements of working in-person at the office and remotely from home or elsewhere. In 2020, many firms transitioned to fully remote law practices. Now, as businesses reopen their traditional offices, it’s worth asking: how should remote work shape the future of legal practice? Join Nefra MacDonald, affinity partnerships manager at Clio, as she talks about the hybrid law firm model including the advantages it offers and the important considerations to keep in mind when implementing a hybrid system. The event is free for TBA Members. CLE credit is available for a $45 fee. Please contact TBA Education Director Jennifer Vossler to request CLE credit.

The TBA YLD’s first CLE of the bar year will take place Oct. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. CDT. “Cultural Competency for the Young Lawyer” will include a discussion on implicit bias, how it impacts lawyers and why it matters. The webcast will offer two hours of ethics credit and feature real-life examples from the courtroom and with clients. Speakers include Knoxville lawyer Sherley Cruz with the University of Tennessee College of Law and Brentwood lawyer Julie Peak with the Law Offices of Julie Bhattacharya Peak. Registrants will complete the Harvard Implicit Bias Test prior to attending the course.

Save the date for this year’s Animal Law Forum, taking place in person and outside at the Nashville Zoo on Sept. 24. Programming will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT and will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to brush up on trends and advancements in animal law, while networking and enjoying the fun and activities the zoo offers. The zoo’s president and CEO and the board’s general counsel will discuss conservation efforts and laws affecting procurement and care for zoo animals. Other topics include ethical considerations for animals and the law, legislative updates, laws governing farm animals and more. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program.

Tennessee Sen. Ramesh Akbari, D-Memphis, will address state legislation affecting the LGBTQ community at the TBA's LGBT Forum on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. This year’s virtual program will look at political concerns for Tennessee’s gay community, with a particular focus on anti-transgender legislation. The forum also will include an advocacy panel on how to become more involved in the fight for equal justice, a presentation on discrimination concerns after the Bostick v. Clayton County, Georgia decision and more.

The TBA Litigation Law Section's annual forum will take place virtually on Sept. 16. The program, produced by Todd Presnell with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Nashville, will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT and offer four general CLE credits. Speakers include Tennessee Supreme Court justices Holly Kirby, Sharon Lee and Roger A. Page; Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge W. McBrayer; 30th Judicial District Chancellor Gadson “Will” Perry; and former TBA president and Baker Donelson shareholder George T. “Buck” Lewis III.