Members of the Tennessee legal community met for the second day of the TBA Annual Convention in Franklin today. The morning began with a Public Service Awards Breakfast featuring presentation of the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award to a group of private attorneys representing families from Nashville’s Covenant School, the Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year to the executive directors of the state's three Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funded organizations, the Law Student of the Year Award to recent Belmont University College of Law graduate David "Lee" Myers, and the 2025 CASA Volunteer of the Year to Amy Dorman with CASA Works Inc. in Tullahoma. At the annual Bench Bar Luncheon, Nashville lawyer Margaret Behm received the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award, while Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft received the Justice Frank F. Drowota III Award. Following the awards, Nashville lawyer Ed Yarbrough, of counsel with Spencer Fane, gave the keynote address, highlighting the work of a dozen lawyers who went on to make great contributions to the profession by staying true to their convictions. He told attendees, "Integrity is the most important thing — the only thing that lets you make history." The afternoon continued with CLE programs on artificial intelligence and the most recent legislative session. The evening will wrap up with a reception. See pictures from today's events.

A webcast on June 18 will cover upcoming changes to Tennessee’s foreclosure law, including a reduction in the number of required newspaper notices for foreclosure sales and a new requirement to post all sales and continuances online. Hosted by David Anthony of Exo Legal PLLC and Amy Heaslet of the Tennessee Bankers Association, the webcast will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. and include a discussion on how to comply with the new regulations taking effect July 1. Presenters will also answer participant questions. For more information and to register, visit TBA website. 

In 2019, a Shelby County jury convicted the Petitioner, Andre Bowen, of facilitation of first degree felony murder, attempted especially aggravated robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The trial court ordered him to serve an effective sentence of seventy-two years of incarceration. On appeal, this court affirmed his convictions and sentence. State v. Bowen, No. W2019-01210-CCA-R3-CD, 2021 WL 1400929, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. Apr. 13, 2021), perm. app. denied (Tenn. June 15, 2021). The Petitioner unsuccessfully sought relief pursuant to a writ of error coram nobis. Bowen v. State, No. W2022-00229-CCA-R3-ECN, 2022 WL 17408878, at *3 (Tenn. Crim. App. Dec. 5, 2022), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Mar. 8, 2023). The Petitioner then filed a petition for post- conviction relief contending that he had received the ineffective assistance of counsel. The post-conviction court dismissed the petition as untimely, and the Petitioner appeals offering multiple grounds for a due process tolling of the statute of limitations. After review, we affirm the post-conviction court’s judgment.

Defendant, Fernando Ballard, appeals the trial court’s decision to fully revoke his probation. He contends that the trial court did not have authority to fully revoke his probation because there was insufficient evidence to find that Defendant committed a non- technical violation. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

This appeal arises from a petition to determine custody and establish parenting time. Following a two-day trial, the court ruled that the parents shall have joint legal custody of their two-year-old child and that the mother shall be the primary residential parent. The court also established a parenting schedule, pursuant to which the mother was awarded more parenting time than the father. The father appeals the designation of the mother as the primary residential parent and the allocation of parenting time. Finding no error, we affirm.

The 2025 TBA Annual Convention kicked off today at the Marriott Hotel in Franklin with meetings of the TBA House of Delegates and incoming section chairs, to be followed by a welcome reception and group dinners for attendees. Walk-up registrations are still available. For those who cannot attend in person, the Lawyers Lunch, scheduled for Friday, will be livestreamed on the TBA’s Facebook and YouTube channel. A full schedule of convention events and CLE programming is available on the TBA website.

Candidates who passed the February bar exam, along with others, were sworn in during a ceremony in Knoxville on Monday.  Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight E. Tarwater presided over the ceremony. See photos from the event here.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) crime lab in Jackson will dedicate two scientists to DNA and ballistics testing exclusively for the Memphis Police Department. Memphis City Council member Philip Spinosa and Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, announced the agreement Tuesday. According to the Daily Memphian, the city will fund both positions, and the arrangement will remain in place until the city or county proceeds with building an independent crime lab. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris told the news outlet he is still pursuing a local crime lab independent of the TBI. Harris and District Attorney General Steve Mulroy estimate the annual cost of that operation to be $5.5 million.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed an executive order aimed at expanding Tennessee’s workforce development, particularly in high-growth industries. Executive Order 109 designates the Tennessee State Workforce Development Board as the central leadership for the state’s broader workforce agenda, according to Fox 17. The order calls for leveraging technology and employer partnerships to personalize career pathways, promote continuous innovation and maximize public return on investment. “As companies continue to invest in Tennessee and create high-quality jobs, continued coordination across state government and public-private partnerships will be necessary to unlock our full economic potential and create greater opportunity for all Tennesseans to thrive," Lee said. The signing ceremony took place in Knoxville.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met in Hohenwald to select nominees for a circuit court judge in the 32nd Judicial District, which includes Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties. Following a public hearing and interviews, the commission selected three nominees to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for consideration: William K. Lane III, Patricia W. Holder and Jack B.D. Heath. Read more about the nominees in their applications on the Administrative Office of the Court's website.