The Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) and the TBA Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Diversity Committee will hold a networking mixer next week on April 30. The free event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. CDT at Burch Porter & Johnson, 130 N. Court Ave., Memphis 38103. Special thanks to the law firm for sponsoring this event. All are welcome but an RSVP is required by April 23. See a flyer for more information.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention, set for June 10-13, at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville. In addition to compelling CLE programs and leadership meetings, multiple social and networking events will provide opportunities to connect with colleagues. The convention gets underway Wednesday and will feature a welcome reception that evening. Thursday will begin with the Public Service Breakfast and University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Breakfast, continue with interactive Lunch & Learn sessions, and wrap up with a reception at the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball stadium. Friday will feature a breakfast buffet and the annual Lawyers Luncheon, which will include a look back at TBA President Heidi Barcus’ year in office and the swearing in of new president Charlotte Knight Griffin. See the full schedule. All events are included with full convention registration.

West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) and the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association will host their annual Law Day Celebration on May 1 beginning at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The event will take place at St. Luke’s Church in Jackson and will feature Joel Ebert and Erik Schelzig, authors of “Welcome to Capitol Hill: Fifty Years of Scandal in Tennessee Politics.” The pair will talk about their book, with a focus on West Tennessee government scandals, specifically those involving Gov. Ray Blanton and Operation Tennessee Waltz. Tickets are $35 for members of the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association, $50 for attorneys who are not members of the association and $25 for non-attorneys. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets online.

In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the 2026 TBA Annual Convention will include meetings of TBA's governing bodies. On Wednesday, the House of Delegates will meet in the afternoon. On Thursday, the TBA Access to Justice Committee will meet to make plans for the upcoming bar year. On Friday, the TBA Board of Governors and its executive committee will meet for its summer meeting, while the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) and TBA Member Insurance Solutions (TBAMS) will hold their respective board meetings. Also on Friday, the Young Lawyers Division will hold its annual membership meeting and Long Range Planning Committee meeting. Governance activities will wrap up with past YLD presidents participating in a gavel pass and champagne toast to honor incoming president Jennifer Sneed-Perry. On Saturday, the YLD Board's executive committee will meet, while all board members will participate in committee breakouts and the summer board meeting. Check out the full convention schedule.

Law Day, nationally recognized on May 1, will be celebrated at events across the state in the coming weeks. Belmont College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzalez will speak at the Nashville Bar Association's event on April 23 and at the Knoxville Bar Association's program on April 29. The Memphis Bar Association will host a barbecue on May 1, and the Chattanooga Bar Association has planned a luncheon for May 6, featuring keynote speaker Jean Becker, former chief of staff to former President George H. W. Bush. Finally, West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) and the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association will host their annual Law Day Celebration on May 1 with Joel Ebert and Erik Schelzig, authors of "Welcome to Capitol Hill: Fifty Years of Scandal in Tennessee Politics." The 2026 Law Day theme is “The Rule of Law and the American Dream.” The rule of law — the idea that no person is above the law — is what ensures the rights of the people to live their lives as freely as possible and to pursue their dreams, according to national event planners.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention, set for June 10-13, in downtown Knoxville. Annual favorites such as the Public Service Breakfast, Lawyers Luncheon, compelling CLE and swearing in of TBA’s new president will return, as will the Wednesday night welcome reception and a Thursday evening reception at Knoxville’s minor league ballpark, home of the Smokies. Again this year, the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women (TLAW) and Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) will hold meetings and events in conjunction with the convention. This year’s convention also will include TBA’s first-ever Tech Showcase and several lunch and learn opportunities with tech vendors on Thursday. The four-day event will take place at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville. Don’t miss this annual gathering of Tennessee lawyers! Access registration, hotel reservation information and more on the event website. Day passes for the Tech Showcase on June 11 also are available for those who unable to attend the full convention. Learn more about that option.

Join the TBA Mentoring Committee and the TBA Young Lawyers Division for the May monthly mentoring meet up at a Nashville Sounds game! We have a block of tickets in the 4 Tops section on May 28, perfect for making connections in a relaxed setting. Tickets are only $20. Half the price, all the fun — thanks to the TBA covering the other half. All are welcome and guests are encouraged. Come connect, build relationships and enjoy the game with the mentoring community! See a flyer for more information and purchase tickets here. Tickets are limited. Learn more about the TBA Mentoring Committee on the TBA website.

Nashville author Sheri Sellmeyer will be featured in the Tennessee State Museum's TN Writers | TN Stories series on April 11 to discuss her new book, "Nashville’s New Americans: Tracing the Journeys of Our Immigrant Neighbors." Through its profiles of 39 immigrants from 38 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and Australia, "Nashville’s New Americans" provides a case study from one of the fastest-growing cities in the country on the contributions immigrants are making to its culture and economy. Reserve a free ticket here. Sellmeyer is chair of the Family Reconciliation Center Board of Directors. The center is a nonprofit guest house that provides free lodging to people visiting incarcerated loved ones. She is married to Barry Kolar, who served as TBA's interim executive director and assistant executive director for many years.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar for new businesses on April 8 at 8:30 a.m. CDT. Participants will learn about state tax obligations for new businesses in Tennessee, as well as other resources that may assist their businesses. Each new business webinar, offered quarterly, covers topics such as tax registration, sales and use tax, business tax, franchise and excise taxes, and how to get help from the department and other relevant state agencies. Register for Wednesday's webinar.

East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (ETLAW) will host its annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon on May 6 at 11:15 a.m. EDT at the Hilton Knoxville in downtown Knoxville. The event will feature lunch and programming, during which members of the Tennessee judiciary will be recognized. In addition, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly M. Kirby, who served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals from 1995 to 2014 before joining the Supreme Court in 2014, will offer remarks reflecting on her decades of service. Kirby announced last fall she would retire on June 30 of this year.