Miles Mason Sr. explains in the new Tennessee Bar Journal why separating or divorcing parents should not ask children what visitation they want, and Donna Harkness writes about why the concept of Supported Decision Making is becoming more a part of planning for clients with diminished capacity. TBA President Jason M. Pannu talks about the importance of effective government relations and how the association approaches it. Read these and more in the September issue.

Laced with SARs, PEPS and OBITs, this month's Tennessee Bar Journal is full of acronyms you need to know (or are now curious about). To help with that, Nashville lawyer Kathryn Reed Edge writes about international intrigue and the importance of financial institutions’ willingness to report suspicious activity. That "OBIT" is not a death notice, but an "Optimal Basis Increase Trust" with which estate planners must be familiar. Knoxville lawyer Dan Holbrook covers it. Tennessee's Solicitor General Andrée Blumstein reviews the book Borrowed Judges: Visitors in the U.S. Court of Appeals, and Jackson lawyer Daniel Taylor reviews former TBA President Sam Elliott's book about John C. Brown. But perhaps the juiciest piece of information in this issue is about a law school graduate who walked out of the bar exam -- that's right, your Voice of the Vols, John Ward, didn't even finish the test -- he hadn't even studied! As you know, he went on to do OK in another career; Memphis lawyer Bill Haltom writes about that. Read the entire issue online.

In this month's Tennessee Bar Journal, Knoxville lawyer Wade Davies writes about rules for non-sequestered witnesses. "I usually try to write this column about something to which I think I know the answer. I’m not sure about this one," he writes. "Is it still the law that if the prosecuting witness is not sequestered he or she has to testify first?" Read it and see. Chattanooga lawyer Russell Fowler looks at the history of the Circuit Court, starting with judges who rode their horses to make the rounds through the circuits. And we almost didn't get to this one ... bringing back the lost art of procrastination. Memphis lawyer Bill Haltom reminds us that the best counsel is not always the fastest answer. The July TBJ is here.

Discover the changes to the state’s adoption law, outlined in an article by Dawn Coppock and Mike Jennings in the new Tennessee Bar Journal. Newly installed TBA President Jason Pannu writes in his first column about his goals for the year -– and introduces a new feature on wine pairings! Also, did you know that there is a procedure to change the manner of death on a death certificate from “suicide?” Read this personal account by Nashville lawyer Yarnell Beatty, and learn how to assist your clients through this process. Check out the July issue.

In case you missed it, the June Tennessee Bar Journal covers a lot of territory in its columns. Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow explain "Title VII in Transition," and Monica Franklin and Susie Stiles write "Ageism: It's Time for an Attitude Adjustment." Bill Haltom writes about his dear friends and Tennessee legal icons Frank Drowota and John Waters, who each died in April. Waters was president of the Tennessee Bar Association in 1983-1984, and Drowota served on the Tennessee Supreme Court for 25 years. Haltom shares personal stories about them both, which you will not want to miss.

In the June issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal, tribute is paid to the long career of the Tennessee Bar Association's Executive Director Emeritus Allan F. Ramsaur. He steps down after 20 years with the TBA, leaving an impressive legacy, especially with his work in the legislature. Also, read the top two entries in our 2nd Annual Fiction Contest, and get the answers to every question advertising lawyers are asked. TBA President Lucian Pera writes the last installment of his column, reflecting on successes as well as efforts the TBA will continue. Read the Journal online.

In case you missed it, this month's Tennessee Bar Journal is all about evolving legal markets and how technology plays a role in the practice of law. University of Tennessee Law Professor Ben Barton, who served as the issue's guest editor, talks with Tennessee Bar Association President Lucian Pera in this short video about what you can expect from the issue. There is some fun involved here, so check it out.