The Anderson County Bar Association will host a celebration on May 3 to thank Judge Tim Elrod for serving as temporary juvenile judge in the county. The event will take place from 10-11 a.m. EDT at the Anderson County Juvenile Court, 101 S. Main St., Clinton 37716. Coffee and light snacks will be provided. Elrod has been serving as the county’s juvenile judge since August 2023, while Judge Brian Hunt is deployed overseas. Contact Trina Hughes for more information.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) will hold a reception on May 2 to honor newly-confirmed Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner. The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. CDT on the second floor of the Judge D’Army Bailey Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. RSVP by April 29 to info@memphisbar.org or 901-527-3573. Wagner, who currently serves on the Shelby County Circuit Court, was confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly on March 11. She will join the court after Justice Roger A. Page retires on Aug. 31.

Join your colleagues for the 2024 TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville, June 12-15, and earn up to eight hours of continuing legal education. This year's in-person CLE lineup will bring together an esteemed group of speakers to cover a variety of timely, essential legal issues. Hot topics include how AI is impacting the practice of law in Tennessee, the ethical considerations of AI and the annual legislative update. Other programs include "How to Be Your Best in the Virtual Legal World," produced by the TBA Young Lawyers Division, and "Exploring the Relationship Between Criminal Justice and Other Areas of Law," produced jointly by the TBA and the Tennessee Alliance of Black Lawyers (TABL). Learn more about these programs. Still need to register for convention? Get started here.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) will host its annual memorial service this Thursday, beginning at noon CDT, for members who have died over the past year. The in-person event will take place at Calvary Episcopal Church, 102 N. Second St., Memphis 38103. A reception will follow the service.

TBA leadership will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill. Executive Director Sheree Wright, TBA President Jim Barry, TBA President-elect Ed Lanquist, TBA YLD President-elect Sean Aiello and ABA Resource Committee Chair Jonathan Cole will meet with the Tennessee congressional delegation to discuss funding for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides grants to civil legal aid organizations in Tennessee and across the country. Other legislative initiatives being promoted this year include increased funding for federal public defenders, support for attorney-client confidentiality over prison email systems, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and reforms to student lending.

Knoxville's Union Ave. Books will host author Steven Hale in conversation with LMU Law professor Jason R. Smith on April 11 regarding Hale's new book, "Death Row Welcomes You: Visiting Hours in the Shadow of the Execution Chamber." In 2018, after nearly a decade’s hiatus, the state of Tennessee began executing death row inmates, bucking national trends that showed the death penalty in decline. In less than two years, the state put seven men to death, more than any other state but Texas in that time period. Hale was the leading reporter on these executions and in his book he traces the lives of condemned prisoners at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and the people who come to visit them. This free event will take place at 6 p.m. EDT at 517 Union Ave., Knoxville 37902. Get more information and RSVP here. Listen to an interview of Hale by the Nashville Banner or read an excerpt from the book.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar tomorrow from 8:30-11:30 a.m. CDT specifically designed for new businesses. Participants will learn about state tax obligations for new businesses and other resources that may help new business. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Richardson Wyrick, of the District Court for the Eastern Grand Division of Tennessee in Greeneville, will be the commencement speaker for the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) graduating class of 2024. Wyrick, a former TBA president, will address the 96 graduating students on May 9 at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium, beginning at 4 p.m. EDT. Read more about her career in a news release from the school.

The 2024 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative (CCPBI) Gala will be held April 20 in Nashville at the offices of Bass, Berry & Sims, located at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place. Individual tickets are available, and organizations are invited to support the initiative by becoming recognized sponsors. The gala will be a cocktail supper, with live music and a brief presentation, including awarding the inaugural Branham Grants. The CCPBI, a partnership between the TBA Access to Justice Committee, TBA Corporate Counsel Section and the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, established the grants in honor of long-time access to justice champion Andy Branham, who passed away in 2022. The Branham Grants support pro bono projects designed to provide civil legal resources and support for people with, affected by, or at risk for addiction in Tennessee as well as those in recovery. See photos from last year's event. 

The Tennessee Innocence Project will host an event on April 18 in Chattanooga highlighting the work of the organization. Roger Dickson with Miller & Martin and Andrea Hayduk with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office will discuss the mission of the Tennessee Innocence Project and attendees will hear from exoneree Joyce Watkins, who spent 27 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. Wine, beer and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. View the invitation and RSVP here.