Bruce McMullen will deliver the keynote address at the annual Julian Blackshear Jr. Scholarship Gala on Feb. 12, 6 p.m., at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park, 525 Henley Street in Knoxville. McMullen is a University of Tennessee College of Law graduate and shareholder at Baker Donelson. The gala, now in its 16th year, celebrates students and alumni who have positively impacted UT Law through their commitment to diversity and inclusion. Tickets are $50 or $25 for current UT Law students and must be purchased by Feb. 8 via email or by calling 865-974-6691.

The ABA Section of Family Law Jean Crowe Pro Bono Award Committee is accepting nominations for attorneys who have made significant contributions to family law clients on a pro bono basis in their communities. The award includes $1,500 and reimbursement for travel expenses of up to $1,000 to attend the Family Law Section’s Award Luncheon in San Francisco. Nominations are due May 20. Crowe was the TBA's 2013 Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year.

Health care attorney and distillery owner Heath Clark will share “The Pitfalls of First-Year Entrepreneurship” on Feb. 5 at Williamson County’s First Friday breakfast program. Clark, a shareholder at Clark Business & Health Law, is the owner of H. Clark Distillery located in Thompson’s Station. According to Brentwood Home Page, the free program will be held from 7:30-9 a.m. at E|SPACES, 1550 West McEwen Drive, Suite 300 in Franklin. Register online.

Former TBA President Jim Emison will discuss his forthcoming book – “Elbert Williams, First to Die” – at the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law on Jan. 21 at 12:30 p.m. The book focuses on the unsolved 1940 murder of Williams, a NAACP member, in Brownsville, Tennessee. For more information, contact Kate Reagan, the school's director of public relations, 423-869-6389.

The Tennessee Conservatives Concerned about the Death Penalty will host a luncheon with Nebraska state Sen. Colby Coash on Jan. 27 at noon at the Nashville City Center office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis located at 511 Union Street. Sen. Coash, R-Lincoln, was a key figure in the repeal last year of Nebraska’s death penalty and will discuss why many state are questioning the alignment of their capital punishment systems with conservative values. The event is free and lunch is $11. Register by Jan. 25 to Amy Lawrence.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society will hold its annual cocktail reception, honoring the members of the Tennessee Supreme Court, on Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. The event celebrates the opening of two new alcoves at the Tennessee Judiciary Museum, honoring the role of women and minorities throughout the state's legal history. For the first time, the reception will be held in the Tennessee Supreme Court Building. Individual tickets are $100. Firm sponsorships are available at various levels, which include advertising and a block of tickets. Space in the courtroom is limited to 150 attendees. RSVP to Rachel Thomas.

The TBA will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. The TBA will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 8 a.m.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is accepting applications to host a table at its Second Annual Public Interest Fair to be held on Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event, open to law students, will feature representatives from numerous government and non-profit agencies. Contact Jerri Green, Public Interest Counselor, by Feb. 1 to reserve a table.

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville is currently accepting nominations of young professionals for the Nashville Emerging Leader Awards program. NELAs are given in 15 categories including Legal Services, Business Services, and Community Service and Nonprofit. Applications are available online and are due Feb. 2.

Vanderbilt University will host lawyer and author Bryan Stevenson Jan. 15 as part of its Chancellor's Lecture Series and to kick off the school's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration weekend. Stevenson is founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice & Redemption, a book about "the potential of mercy to redeem our society and fix our justice system." A reception and book signing is 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.; the lecture is 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.