The TBA will host the 2026 Construction Law Forum on Jan. 23 at the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Bradley L. Barrett Training Center in Nashville. The full-day continuing legal education program, offering 6.5 hours of CLE credit, will offer two learning tracks. The first will offer introductory sessions in the morning covering lien rights, case law updates and common construction law mistakes. The afternoon sessions will focus on the Prompt Pay Act, delay claims, ethics and artificial intelligence in construction law. Participants may register for morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, with programming designed to benefit both new and seasoned construction law practitioners. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) and the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Diversity Committee will hold a networking mixer on Jan. 8 at Spencer Fane, 511 Union St., Ste. 1000, Nashville 37219. The free event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. CST and parking will be validated. Special thanks to Spencer Fane for sponsoring this event. All are welcome but an RSVP is required. See a flyer for more information.

State lawmakers are penciling in Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day — as the date for Gov. Bill Lee’s final budget address to lawmakers, Tennessee Journal reports. Lee is term limited and cannot run for governor again. According to a schedule of opening proceedings proposed by Senate Speaker Randy McNally’s office, the cutoff date for members of the upper chamber to file bills for the second session of the 114th General Assembly would be Jan. 29. The Tennessee Journal has more on the proposed schedule.

Prosecutors agree that ex-Rep. Robin Smith should be resentenced for her role in the Phoenix Solutions public corruption case, the Tennessee Journal reports. Last month, the Hixson Republican filed a motion asking for a judge to re-sentence her to probation after President Donald Trump pardoned former House Speaker Glen Casada and his one-time aide Cade Cothren. Smith is asking for probation and removal of a $7,500 fine in light of the pardons for her two co-defendants. A motion filed with federal Judge Eli Richardson argues that Smith “should be resentenced to a term of probation and have the fine reduced to $0 in order to mitigate the manifest injustice that will result from Ms. Smith being the only one of the three conspirators to face criminal sanctions.”

The Tennessean looks at Alberto Gonzales’ tenure as dean of Belmont University’s College of Law. Gonzales, who served as White House counsel and U.S. attorney general in the George W. Bush administration before joining the school, will step down at the end of the academic year. He has spent 12 years at the school and nearly 10 years as dean. Gonzales says he plans to remain in Middle Tennessee and continue to find ways to serve following retirement. The piece explores how Gonzales found his way to Belmont and reflects on the things he thinks lead to success in life.

The Council of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has appointed a special advisory committee to assist in reviewing the standards for the approval of law schools. The committee will be guided by the council’s “Core Principles and Values” and will focus on “ensuring that the council’s standards enable law schools to innovate and provide a quality legal education without imposing needless burdens or costs.” It will gather information from key constituencies and provide counsel on what changes to the standards are appropriate. The committee is made up of state supreme court justices and law school deans and professors. Read more in a news release from the ABA.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over internal emails and records showing why high-level officials pushed for criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The order, issued on Dec. 3, recently was unsealed, according to The Tennessean. Prosecutors have said officials provided "appropriate oversight" in the case. The order came in proceedings challenging Abrego Garcia's prosecution as vindictive. In October, Crenshaw ruled there is some evidence the government brought charges out of vindictiveness. He set the next hearing for Jan. 26, 2026. Abrego Garcia faces two charges in Tennessee: conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens. In related news, immigration officials now say they do not plan to detain Abrego Garcia again as long as a judge’s order banning it stands, according to the Associated Press.

Mississippi lawyer Christopher Ryan Toms was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Dec. 30. He was placed on inactive status more than five years ago on Dec. 2, 2013. The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed the petition for reinstatement and determined Toms had met the requirements for reinstatement.

The random lottery for H-1B visas heavily used by the tech sector will be swapped with a selection process that favors highly paid workers under a Trump administration rule released last week. According to Reuters, the rule will take effect Feb. 27, 2026, as part of the administration’s plan to block visas for lower-paid jobs. Giving employers an incentive to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers would “strengthen America’s competitiveness,” according to a government spokesperson. But employer groups warn such a change would undercut the administration’s goal of prioritizing the most economically valuable workers.

Kingsport lawyer Don F. Mason Jr. died Dec. 26 following a lengthy illness. Originally from Alabama, Mason earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1976, and a Master of Business Administration and a law degree in 1979. He practiced law from 1980 until his passing, maintaining a general practice with a focus in labor and employment law. Other practice areas included discrimination, workers' compensation, personal injury, social security disability, and civil mediation and arbitration. Mason served as president of Legal Aid of East Tennessee from 2015-2016 and was a member of its board of directors from 2010-2020. Visitation is today from 4-5:30 p.m. EST at Colonial Heights Christian Church. A celebration of life will follow at 5:30 p.m. EST. Memorial donations may be made to Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 311 W. Walnut St., Johnson City, TN 37604 or by calling 423-928-8311.