You do not want to miss the Bench Bar Program at this year’s TBA Convention! Set for June 13 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, the program’s first panel will focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting the practice of law in Tennessee. Join TBA's AI Task Force Chair A.J. Bahou, a partner in the Nashville office of Bradley Arant Bout Cummings; Zack Glaser with The Lawyerist; and 16th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Jimmy Turner to gain insights into this rapidly developing technology. A second panel then will dig into the ethical considerations of AI. Hear from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Memphis lawyer Brian Faughnan with Faughnan Law and Nashville lawyer Kim Looney with K&L Gates. Thanks to Nashville lawyer Mary Beard and TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright for agreeing to moderate these panels. Be sure to check out all the educational programs at this year’s Convention. Still need to register? Get started here.

Cookeville attorney Laura Dykes will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s Fifth Annual Claudia Jack Award. Named for the late Claudia Jack, a long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged and a public defender in Maury County, the award is presented to an outstanding public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who serves the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. Dykes has served as an assistant public defender for the past 35 years, working first in the Metro Davidson County office, then joining the 13th Judicial Office in Cookeville after her retirement in Nashville. In both of those positions, Dykes has been recognized for ethically and zealously defending clients. The award will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in Memphis on June 14 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon. Read more in the TBA’s press release.

J. Daniel Breen, a senior judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and a former Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) president, will be honored in June with the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award. The award, given jointly by the TBA and the Tennessee American Inns of Court, will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention’s Bench Bar Luncheon June 13 in Memphis. In a letter nominating Breen for the award, Jackson lawyer Sarah Barnett wrote of his "legal professionalism and outstanding character" and his work co-founding the Howell Edmunds-Jackson American Inns of Court Chapter. Others highlighted his mentorship of younger lawyers and new judges, his support for colleagues rising to leadership roles and his work promoting mediation as an alternative to trial. TBA President Jim Barry praised Breen's selection. “Judge Breen exemplifies the ideals of the Tennessee Professionalism Award. His service to the judiciary and the legal profession reflects the highest standards of the rule of law and the legal profession in Tennessee.” Read more in the TBA's press release.

Register by 11:59 p.m. CDT on April 30 for TBA's Annual Convention in Memphis, June 12-15, to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! The Peabody Hotel has special room rates for convention attendees, so make those reservations by May 22.

Retired Memphis lawyer and former Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) President William H. “Bill” Haltom Jr. will be honored in June with the prestigious William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award. Named for former Attorney General William M. Leech and presented by the Fellows of the TBA Young Lawyers Division, the award is given to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community. In selecting Haltom for the award, Fellows President Rachel Mancl said, “Bill Haltom exemplifies the values embodied in the Leech Award. His contributions to the Tennessee Bar Association, as well as to the state and Memphis legal communities, demonstrate his lifelong commitment to improving the legal profession and serving the public. The Fellows are proud to award him the 2024 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award.” The award will be presented at the TBA’s Annual Convention in Memphis on June 14 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon. Read the TBA's full press release on the news.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2024 Annual Convention, set for June 12-15, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. In addition to CLE and leadership meetings, there are multiple social and networking events on the agenda. On Wednesday evening, a welcome reception is followed by casual dine-around for all attendees. Thursday begins with the Public Service Breakfast and law school breakfasts, and wraps up with a Tennessee Legal Community Reception open to all and joint bench & bar event featuring Memphis-based band "Soul Shockers." All of these events are included with full registration. Register by April 30 to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! Individual tickets will be available for purchase in the next few weeks.

Submissions for the TBA's Fourth Estate Award: Honoring Courageous Reporting on Justice and the Law are due next week on Thursday. This year's prize, honoring reporting in 2023, includes a $250 honorarium for the winner. The TBA strongly supports freedom of expression under the First Amendment, as exercised by lawyers on behalf of their clients and by journalists on behalf of the public, and particularly wants to recognize and encourage journalists who promote public understanding of the rule of law and our system of justice through vigorous exercise of their First Amendment rights. The deadline for entry is April 25. Attorneys who have relationships with reporters or observed a particularly compelling piece of journalism in 2023 are encouraged to submit a nomination. Read about past recipients here and read the TBA's full press release.

Register by April 30 for TBA's Annual Convention in Memphis, June 12-15, to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! The Peabody Hotel has special room rates for convention attendees, so make those reservations by May 22.

In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the 2024 TBA Annual Convention will include meetings of TBA's governing bodies. On June 12, the House of Delegates will meet in the afternoon, while new section chairs will meet to make plans for the 2024-2025 bar year. On June 14, the TBA Board of Governors and its Executive Committee will meet after the Lawyers Luncheon. Later that afternoon, the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) and TBA Member Insurance Solutions (TBAMS) will hold their respective board meetings. Wrapping up the day, the Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Long Range Planning Committee will meet and all young lawyer members of the TBA will gather for the division's annual meeting. On June 15, members of the YLD Board will meet for committee breakouts and their summer board meeting. Check out the full convention schedule and make plans to be in Memphis June 12-15!

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.