The TBA will host a webcast replay of “Raising the Bar: The Unconventional JD — Exploring Alternative Legal Career Paths” on Feb. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. CST, featuring a panel of attorneys who have built careers beyond the traditional law firm model. Panelists include Meera Ballal, founder of Women’s Healthcare Initiative in Nashville; Julie Bennett, executive vice president, chief legal and governance officer and corporate secretary for Ballad Health in Johnson City; and Sara Beth Myers, deputy general counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Nashville. The program will explore career paths in nonprofit leadership, advocacy and policy, in-house counsel roles, government representation, board service, and entrepreneurship, while offering guidance on navigating a legal market that increasingly values flexible and diverse skill sets. To register visit the TBA website. 

Memphis attorney and TBA YLD President-elect Jennifer Sneed-Perry has announced the elected and appointed members of the 2026-2027 YLD Board. These individuals will take office at the TBA Convention in June.

Elected members serving on the YLD Board Executive Committee are:

• President: Jennifer Sneed-Perry
• President-elect: Darius Walker Jr.
• Vice President: Zack Walden
• Secretary: Patrick Morrison
• Treasurer: Ashley Tipton
• East Tennessee Governor: Samantha Ellis
• Middle Tennessee Governor: Alix Rogers
• West Tennessee Governor: Faith Watson
• Immediate Past President: Alex McVeagh
• Past President: Sean Aiello
• Past President: Billy Leslie

Other elected positions will be filled by the following:

• District Representatives: Sydney Gilbert (District 1), Mari Jasa (District 3), Alexandra Jones (District 4), Claire Tuley (District 5), Amber Vargas (District 6), Alyssa Fox (District 7), Grace Burnett (District 8), Ginny Blake (District 9), Colton McGrew (District 11), Shelby Combs (District 13) and Constance Brown (District 14).
• TBA House of Delegates: Mary Frances DeVoe, Lorne Hiller and Brian Mounce
• ABA YLD Representative: Alix Rogers
• ABA YLD Tennessee/Kentucky Representative: Sean Aiello

There are vacancies for a district representative in Districts 2, 10 and 12. TBA YLD members who would like more information and/or are interested in serving in this role should send a letter of interest and resume to llabenberg@tnbar.org.

The following TBA members have been appointed to lead various committees to undertake the significant public and membership initiatives of the YLD:

• Public Service Committee: Levi Mauldin
• Diversity Committee: Chicoya Smith
• Diversity Leadership Institute: Kamila Fernandez and John Murphy
• Membership Committee: Alexxas Johnson and Billy Leslie
• Publications Committee: Brian Mounce
• Mock Trial Committee: Bridget Pyman, Wyatt Boston, Ashley Tipton
• Long Range Planning Committee: Zack Walden
• Rural Judicial Fellowship Program: Alix Rogers and Zack Walden

Beyond services to its members, the YLD provides multiple programs a year across the state including pro bono expungement, name change, essential documents and debt relief clinics. The YLD also sponsors the Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition — the largest public service project of the TBA. Over the next year, the YLD will continue to sponsor several special initiatives including the Rural Judicial Fellowship and the Diversity Leadership Institute programs for law students and the Leadership and Law Academy for high school students. Incoming president Jennifer Sneed-Perry also will focus on educating attorneys on estate planning through CLEs and pro bono estate planning clinics across the state. Sneed-Perry also has intensified the commitment to serving law students by appointing six law students to the YLD Board as law student liaisons.

8am™ LawPay is endorsed by all 50 state bars and trusted by firms nationwide. Built specifically for legal professionals, LawPay provides a faster way to accept payments while maintaining full IOLTA compliance. Offer clients more ways to pay with debit, credit, and eCheck payment options, as well as Pay Later, which allows clients to pay over time while you get paid upfront. With PCI Level 1 security and built-in tools that prevent commingling, every transaction also stays protected. Plus, next-business-day deposits strengthen cash flow so you can stay focused on client service — not collections. See why firms trust LawPay >>

Join members of the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee for a live interactive roundtable on how best to manage work-life balance as a legal professional. This 45 minute Zoom event on March 25 at 12:30 p.m. CDT will feature attorneys discussing their day-to-day practice and will provide effective tools for personal well-being. While geared toward law students and young lawyers, this free event is open to all TBA members, but registration is required. Questions and feedback are encouraged. Submit questions in advance to jword@tnbar.org.

The court delivered an order denying the petition for rehearing en banc. RITZ, J. (pp. 3– 6), delivered a separate opinion, in which MOORE, J., joined, concurring in the denial of the petition for rehearing en banc. GRIFFIN, J. (pp. 7–9), delivered a separate opinion in which BUSH, J., joined, dissenting from the denial of the petition for rehearing en banc. THAPAR and HERMANDORFER, JJ. (pp. 10–19), delivered a separate opinion, in which GRIFFIN, BUSH, LARSEN, NALBANDIAN, READLER, and MURPHY, JJ., joined, dissenting from the denial of the petition for rehearing en banc. BUSH, J. (pp. 20–25), delivered a separate opinion dissenting from the denial of the petition for rehearing en banc. READLER, J. (pp. 26–33), delivered a separate opinion, in which GRIFFIN, BUSH, and LARSEN, JJ., joined, dissenting from the denial of the petition for rehearing en banc.

RONALD LEE GILMAN, Circuit Judge. In February 2022, Linda Henry (Henry) was tragically murdered by her next-door neighbor, Jeffrey Stratton. Her son, McCord Henry, acting on behalf of his mother’s estate (the Estate), sued Benzie County and certain deputies of its Sheriff’s Office (collectively, Defendants), alleging that Henry’s murder was caused by Defendants’ selective denial of protective services when dealing with threats against women as compared to men. The Estate’s complaint asserts claims based on Defendants’ alleged violation of Henry’s equal-protection rights under the United States Constitution and under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The district court dismissed the Estate’s federal claims for lack of standing and for failure to state a claim, and it declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the Estate’s state-law claims. In the instant appeal, the Estate challenges only the dismissal of its federal claims. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

The Petitioner, Christopher Nicol Cox, appeals from the Scott County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. On appeal, the Petitioner argues the post- conviction court erred in denying his petition in that he received ineffective assistance of counsel due to trial counsel’s (1) failure to object, move for a mistrial, or request a curative instruction after a prospective juror stated she had previously “dealt with” the Petitioner through her work with child protective services, (2) releasing an alibi witness from his subpoena when he failed to appear at trial, and (3) failure to adequately advise the Petitioner regarding his right to testify. The Petitioner also asserts that the cumulative effect of trial counsel’s errors entitles him to post-conviction relief. Discerning no error, we affirm.

This action involves the termination of a father’s parental rights to his minor children. Following a bench trial, the court found that clear and convincing evidence established several grounds of termination and that termination was in the best interest of the children. We reverse, holding that the record does not support the trial court’s finding of clear and convincing evidence in support of the alleged statutory grounds of termination.

This action involves the termination of a father’s parental rights to his minor children. Following a bench trial, the court found that clear and convincing evidence established several grounds of termination and that termination was in the best interest of the children. We reverse, holding that the record does not support the trial court’s finding of clear and convincing evidence in support of the alleged statutory grounds of termination.