The TBA LGBT Section will host a roundtable videoconference on Jan. 27. The event will feature ethics considerations for attorneys when working from home, an open discussion of issues affecting LGBT lawyers and staying sane in a pandemic. The event is free and open to all TBA members but registration is required. Connection info will be sent the week of the meeting.

The TBA’s Litigation Law Section is presenting a roundtable discussion Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon CST on COVID-19 in the Courtroom and What to Expect in 2021. The virtual event is open to all TBA members but registration is required. Three judges will join the discussion: Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Gina Higgins, Court of Appeals (Eastern Division) Judge Kristi Davis and Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle. Please register by 2 p.m. CST on Jan. 13 to receive the Zoom email invitation.

The TBA’s Corporate Counsel Section will host a Virtual Happy Hour for its members on Thursday at 4 p.m. CST. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet members of the section executive council, discuss ideas for the section and enjoy some entertainments as colleagues share the most unusual experiences they have had on a Zoom call. Grab a glass of your favorite beverage and connect with fellow section members. Not a member of the Corporate Counsel section? It’s never too late to sign up!

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the second installment of Crim Law Day was presented in a virtual format last week with nearly 50 attorneys and judges volunteering to mentor students from LMU Law and the University of Tennessee College of Law. Members of the TBA Criminal Law Section were paired with small groups of five to seven students to discuss the case of William James Rummel vs. W.J. Estelle Jr. Students also had the opportunity to ask section leaders about their day-to-day activities and the challenges of practicing in the criminal justice field.

The TBA Criminal Justice Section is featuring law student authors on a quarterly basis in its Connect e-newsletter. The Student Spotlight offers an opportunity for Tennessee law students to collaborate with a section member to create an article of interest to criminal law practioners. The third article of the year recently was published by the section. Check out “Does Miranda Still Exist In Tennessee?” by Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law student Samantha Hardin with assistance from section member Steven G. Moore of Moore & Associates in Chattanooga.

Police use of force has long been a polarizing topic, but this year the issue has taken on new relevance. To help TBA members better understand the issue, the TBA Local Government Section will host a roundtable discussion on Monday from 2 to 3 p.m. CDT with Jeff Hughes, police chief for the city of Brentwood; Maggi Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police; and John Buntin, Metro Nashville director of policy and community safety. The panel will examine use of force policies, tactics, training and community oversight. The event is free but registration is required.

Police use of force has long been a polarizing topic, but this year the issue has taken on new relevance. To help TBA members better understand all sides of the debate, the TBA Local Government Section will host a roundtable discussion on Oct. 26 from 2 to 3 p.m. CDT with Jeff Hughes, police chief for the city of Brentwood; Maggi Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police; and John Buntin, Metro Nashville director of policy and community safety. The panel will examine use of force policies, tactics, training and community oversight. The event is free and open to all members but registration is required.

The TBA LGBT Section will host a virtual roundtable on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 1 to 2 p.m. CST. This opportunity will feature ethics considerations for attorneys when working from home, an open discussion on issues affecting LGBT lawyers and staying sane in a pandemic. The event is free and open to all TBA members. For those who would like CLE credit, there will be a $45 course filing fee. Connection info will be sent the week of the program.

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The TBA’s Criminal Justice Section Executive Council is seeking volunteer lawyers to assist with the section’s annual “Crim Law Day” initiative for students at the Duncan School of Law and University of Tennessee College of Law. The program will take place via Zoom on Nov. 17 with sessions from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and noon to 1:30 p.m. EST. The program will feature a general discussion between defense lawyers and prosecutors followed by breakout sessions where students will be paired with volunteer lawyers to ask questions and discuss hypotheticals. To volunteer, contact TBA staff member and Criminal Justice Section Coordinator Jarod Word.

It’s election season and the TBA is offering a free Voting Rights Roundtable for members to discuss the process and historical significance of election laws and regulations. Executive Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Ethics Commission Bill Young and LMU Duncan School of Law professor Akram Fazier will host a two-part discussion on the past and present of voting, elections and ethics, including, federal voting rights jurisprudence, Tennessee jurisprudence and constitutional text on the issue and campaign finance disclosure. Join the virtual discussion from 10 until 11 a.m. CDT on Sept. 10. The roundtable is free and open to all TBA members.