Bring your lunch and join colleagues for the second Sandwiches & Sidebars, a quarterly networking meet-up hosted by the TBA Mentoring Committee. This casual gathering is a great opportunity to meet new people, expand professional networks, exchange ideas and connect with fellow members of the legal community in a relaxed setting. The next event will take place Nov. 2 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CST at the TBA office located at 3010 Poston Ave., Nashville 37203. Free parking is available. TBA Members should drop in as their schedule allows — stay for a few minutes or the full two hours. From experienced to mid-career attorneys to young lawyers to law students, all members of the TBA are encouraged to attend. This event is supported by the Young Lawyers Division. Hope to see you there!

Memphis attorney, accountant and financial educator Brooke Benjamin Kelley's Beyond the Numbers: A Lawyer's Perspective on Affording the Life You Want is the latest edition of Voices of the YLD. You can learn more from Kelley at the upcoming CLE webcast Building Financial Freedom on Sept. 24 at noon CDT. Visit the TBA website for more information and to register. To contribute a piece to Voices of the YLD, contact TBA YLD Publications Committee Chair Brian Mounce.

U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Collier of the Eastern District of Tennessee and his law clerks Carrie Brown Stefaniak, Meghan Melkote and Alex Tritell recently published a column in Chattanoogan.com on judicial discretion and federal sentencing. The article looks at congressional guidance in imposing criminal sentencing, which encourages consideration of (1) the nature and circumstances of the crime, (2) the history and characteristics of the defendant, and (3) the need for the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the crime, promote respect for the law, provide just punishment for the offense, deter criminal conduct, protect the public, and provide the defendant with appropriate treatment.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on July 28 at 9 a.m. CDT about key legislative changes enacted in 2026 regarding Tennessee state tax issues and other laws related to motor vehicle titling and registration. Each new business webinar, offered quarterly, covers topics such as tax registration, sales and use tax, business tax, franchise and excise taxes, and how to get help from the Department of Revenue and other relevant state agencies. Register for the July session.

Join Memphis tax attorney and financial educator Brooke Benjamin Kelley on Sept. 24 for "Beyond the Billable Hour: Building Financial Freedom Throughout Your Legal Career." This one-hour webcast will air from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. While law school teaches how to analyze risk, very few lawyers are taught how to analyze financial risk. Yet, the financial decisions made every day can have a lasting impact on careers, family and overall well-being. According to PwC's 2026 Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 57% of employees identified finances as their greatest life stressor, ranking above work, health and relationships. For a profession already known for high levels of stress and burnout, financial wellness is more than a personal issue — it is an important part of building a sustainable and fulfilling legal career. Whether managing student loans, thinking about buying a home, planning for retirement, or simply trying to make more confident financial decisions, this session is for you. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently held its 2026 Orr Symposium. This year’s theme, “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform,” examined the causes of legal deserts and explored practical solutions. According to Knox TN Today, speakers focused on how the legal profession can rethink legal service delivery to ensure that people in underserved communities are not left behind. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner spoke about the court’s recent call for public comment on regulatory reforms, saying it was designed to “have a conversation” about unmet legal need across Tennessee. Other panels explored alternative licensing, the role of non-lawyer legal professionals and what other states are doing to help fill the justice gap. Learn more about the symposium or watch a recording of the program.

The law school also unveiled the Legal Desert Incubator Program, which will provide graduates who commit to spending five years in a legal desert with training, mentoring, business support and financial incentives. And it announced that Briana Rosenbaum, associate dean for access and community engagement and associate professor of law, has been appointed to the Law School Admission Council’s new Rural Access to Justice Workgroup. That group will investigate innovative approaches to expanding the pipeline of future rural attorneys.

Want to learn more about these issues? Join the TBA on July 29 for a discussion with lawyers and judges. Learn more and register here.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently held its 2026 Orr Symposium. This year’s theme, “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform,” examined the causes of legal deserts and explored practical solutions. According to Knox TN Today, speakers focused on how the legal profession can rethink legal service delivery to ensure that people in underserved communities are not left behind. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner spoke about the court’s recent call for public comment on regulatory reforms, saying it was designed to “have a conversation” about unmet legal need across Tennessee. Other panels explored alternative licensing, the role of non-lawyer legal professionals and what other states are doing to help fill the justice gap. Learn more about the symposium or watch a recording of the program.

The law school also unveiled the Legal Desert Incubator Program, which will provide graduates who commit to spending five years in a legal desert with training, mentoring, business support and financial incentives. And it announced that Briana Rosenbaum, associate dean for access and community engagement and associate professor of law, has been appointed to the Law School Admission Council’s new Rural Access to Justice Workgroup. That group will investigate innovative approaches to expanding the pipeline of future rural attorneys.

Want to learn more about these issues? Join the TBA on July 29 for a discussion with lawyers and judges. Learn more and register here.

DAVIS, Circuit Judge. Lindsay Dyda does not have a Social Security Number for religious reasons. Based on certain federal regulations and state law, the Michigan Department of State denied her application for a driving permit because she did not provide a Social Security Number. Dyda sued Josette Tabor, a help desk worker at the Department, and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, asserting that their actions violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. After receiving interpretive guidance from the federal agency responsible for the regulations, the Department is now prepared to process Dyda’s application without a Social Security Number. Dyda appeals the district court’s ruling that her claims for declaratory and injunctive relief are moot and that Tabor is entitled to qualified immunity. We affirm.

The Defendant, Sarah Elaine Smith, pled guilty to two counts of attempted aggravated assault and one count each of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage in excess of $1,500, reckless driving, failure to exercise due care, and failure to maintain lane, for which the trial court imposed an effective sentence of one year of supervised probation. Following a restitution hearing, the trial court ordered the Defendant to pay $16,250 in restitution in installments of $200 per month. The Defendant appeals, arguing that the restitution award is unreasonable, that she will be unable to pay the full amount of the restitution award by the end of her probationary sentence under her current payment schedule, and that the trial court erred by failing to consider her financial resources and ability to pay the restitution award. Following our review, we reverse the trial court’s restitution order and remand for entry of a revised restitution order.

Defendant, John Skidmore, III, pleaded guilty to fourth offense driving under the influence (“DUI”) and was sentenced to two years suspended to probation after serving 150 days incarcerated. Following a hearing on a probation violation warrant, the trial court partially revoked Defendant’s probation, ordered him to serve one year and six months at 100 percent, and extended his probation for an additional year. Upon Defendant’s filing a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, the trial court amended its prior revocation order and fully revoked Defendant’s probation. Defendant appeals1 and argues the trial court failed to place adequate findings on the record to justify its imposition of consequences for Defendant’s probation violation. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.