The TBA’s Animal Law Section held its annual forum at the Nashville Zoo, where attendees heard from experts on issues affecting veterinary clinics, equine concerns, conservation, sensitive habitat development, case law updates, ethics and more. Participants also had the chance to explore the zoo during lunch and meet some of its residents, including a skunk, tamandua, hairy armadillos and rhinos. Attendees also learned about the blue-tongued skink and observed him running amok in the CLE room. See photos from the event.

Tennessee lawyers gathered Friday at Topgolf Nashville for the TBA’s 2025 Estate Planning Tee-Off, featuring three hours of CLE programming focused on new attorneys interested in estate planning and lawyers looking to expand their practice. The day gave attendees the opportunity to build their practice knowledge while enjoying a round of Topgolf. Speakers included Robert Malin of Pinnacle Financial Partners; Grayson Cannon of Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin PLLC; Branch Howard of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.; and Christopher Kelly of Argent Trust Company. They addressed topics such as estate, gift and fiduciary income tax planning. Thank you to our sponsors Pinnacle Financial Partners, Diversified Trust, Southeastern Trust Company, Argent Trust and Guardian Trust. See photos from the event.

The TBA’s General, Solo & Small Firm Section will host networking events in Johnson City and Nashville next month. The first will be held Oct. 2 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. EDT at Wellington’s in Johnson City, followed by a gathering Oct. 8 from 5–7 p.m. CDT at Monday Night Brewing in Nashville. Section members, as well as any TBA member interested in learning more about the section, are invited to attend. Register for the Johnson City event or the Nashville event to help TBA plan for the gatherings. Thanks to Crystal Cole with CRC Legal Group for sponsoring the Nashville event.

The TBA Environmental Law Section has announced that Layton Coker, a student at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, has won the 2025 Jon E. Hastings Memorial Award Writing Competition. The judges reported that Coker’s essay, Paradise Lost: Environmental Justice Gaps in TVA’s Clean Energy Transition, was both timely and captured the spirit of the competition. Nashville School of Law graduate Emily Crawford's submission "Jarkesy, Juries and Justice: The Future of EPA Civil Penalties" was named runner up. Rounding out the competition were exceptional entries by University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law students Logan Hawkins and Owen King. The Environmental Law Section sponsors the annual writing competition to recognize the best legal writing by a Tennessee law student on a topic of state or federal environmental law. The juried competition is held in memory of Jon Hastings, one of the section’s founding members.

The TBA Creditors Practice Section social event originally planned for April 30 has been postponed. Once a new date has been set, the section will be notified and encouraged to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The TBA Creditors Practice Section Executive Council will hold a section social event at Noble's Central, 2292 Rosa L Parks Blvd., Nashville 37228 on April 30 from 5:30-8 p.m. CDT. Section members are invited to join colleagues for drinks, appetizers and opportunities to network with the executive council and fellow section members. Get more information and RSVP here.

The 23rd edition of the Alimony Bench Book is now available. Published by the TBA’s Family Law Section, the book provides a ready resource for dealing with alimony cases in Tennessee. Current Family Law Section members can access their copy at no cost on the Family Law eCommunity page but must be logged into their TBA account. Others may purchase an electronic copy for $25 from the TBA Store.

The TBA Health Law Section has partnered with organizations across the state to provide free advance health care directive clinics in each of Tennessee’s grand divisions. The section is seeking volunteer lawyers to assist with the effort. No previous experience is necessary and there will be experts on hand to answer questions. The first clinic will take place in Knoxville on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon EDT. A Nashville clinic will follow on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. The Memphis clinic will take place Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT. Please contact TBA Health Law Section Chair Ian Hennessey with questions and/or volunteer interest at ian.hennessey@amrllc.com.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) creates opportunities for health-related businesses in areas such as consumer engagement, patient monitoring, diagnosis and treatment decision augmentation, research and drug discovery, staffing, scheduling, revenue cycle management and more. These opportunities pose numerous challenges, with data privacy and security ranking high on the list. The path to AI success in health care includes a governance framework that reduces risks in a way that supports overall business and patient care goals. This free webcast on Monday will provide a brief overview of AI systems and discuss the privacy and security risks associated with using them in health care or wellness applications.

The 22nd edition of the Alimony Bench Book is now available. Published by the TBA’s Family Law Section, the book provides a ready resource for dealing with alimony cases in Tennessee. Current Family Law Section members can access their copy at no cost on the Family Law eCommunity page but must be logged into their TBA account. Others may purchase an electronic copy for $25 from the TBA Store.