The TBA will be closed Thursday in observance of New Year’s Day and will reopen at 8 a.m. CST on Friday. Visit the TBA website to access CLE offerings for your year-end needs and contact information for individual staff members. Happy New Year!

The New Year is just hours away and the TBA is here to help attorneys meet their CLE requirements with flexible, year-end programming. TBA CLE offers live webcasts and on-demand courses that can be completed from home or the office, whether you need a single hour or 15 to finish the year. Members can select from packages by hour (six, eight, 10, 12 or 15), by topic, by practice area or by building their own with more than 200 on-demand programs available. Topical and practice-area packages offer dual hours, making it easy to complete ethics requirements before the year ends. For more information and to browse the full catalog, visit the TBA website or contact support at cle@tnbar.org.

This bonus episode of BarBuzz takes a festive and reflective turn as TBA staff members and hosts Azya Thornton and Hank Elliott share lighthearted courtroom stories and holiday traditions submitted by members and staff, ranging from memorable probate court moments to cookie baking, tamale-making and even a legendary flour fight. The episode also looks ahead to 2026, offering a relaxed and cheerful conversation that celebrates community, connection and what’s next for the TBA. Listeners can catch past episodes of the podcast anytime in the BarBuzz archive.

State officials decertified the Meigs County Jail earlier in December after determining that recently approved repair plans would not bring the overcrowded, aging facility into compliance with Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI) standards. WBIR reports that the decision came less than a day after county commissioners voted to renovate rather than build a new jail. TCI officials have concluded that only a new facility could restore certification. As a result, state inmates must be transferred out and county leaders must reconsider their plans.

Rep. Chris Todd, R-Jackson, has filed HB1446 to ban use of the term "West Bank" — referring to the Palestinian territory west of the Jordan River and Dead Sea controlled by Israel — in official state documents. It would replace references to that area with the term "Judea and Samaria." The Tennessean reports that the bill also embeds religious, historical and national security arguments in state law to support permanent Israeli control of the territory. The proposal adopts language commonly used by Israel’s settler movement and asserts a broader ideological struggle rooted in Judeo-Christian values. Todd, a member of the Tennessee-Israel Legislative Caucus, says the bill ensures state documents use what he considers historically and biblically accurate terminology.

An audit from Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower's office has identified flaws in the way the state Department of Human Services (DHS) investigates complaints against child care centers, potentially placing children at risk, according to the Tennessee Lookout. Approximately 6,000 allegations of child abuse, neglect and financial exploitation are made annually against child care providers, which DHS must investigate. The comptroller's report found that some of these investigations lacked required documentation, including proof that inspectors visited the childcare center, incomplete “action plans” holding child care operators responsible for improvements, and misclassified forms. The report also found that some investigations were not initiated or concluded in the legally required timeframe. DHS Commissioner Clarence Carter acknowledged the ongoing problems and pledged to “strengthen our processes to ensure our investigation process is timely and properly documented at DHS.”

The New Year's Eve ball drops in less than 48 hours and the TBA is here to help attorneys meet their CLE requirements with flexible, year-end programming. TBA CLE offers live webcasts and on-demand courses that can be completed from home or the office, whether you need a single hour or 15 to finish the year. Members can select from packages by hour (six, eight, 10, 12 or 15), by topic, by practice area or by building their own with more than 200 on-demand programs available. Topical and practice-area packages offer dual hours, making it easy to complete ethics requirements before the year ends. For more information and to browse the full catalog, visit the TBA website or contact support at cle@tnbar.org.

Twelve attorneys licensed in Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 39th annual TBA Academy this month. TBA President Heidi Barcus moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Those admitted before the high court were Nashville attorney Paige Bernick; Knoxville lawyer Stefanie Bowen; Nashville attorney Stuart Burkhalter; Memphis lawyer Chad Cardwell; Nashville attorney Stephanie Celada; Morristown lawyer Aaron Chapman; Lewisburg attorney Louisa Davis; Alabama lawyer Charles “Chip” Dawson Jr.; Texas attorney Orlando Dizon; Chattanooga lawyer Michael Kuebler; Knoxville attorney Brandon Morrow, and Nashville lawyer Bernadette Welch. See a photo from the event.

Step into the world of Dunder Mifflin and explore the antics of Michael Scott to uncover critical lessons in professionalism with Stuart Teicher. Learning objectives include the need for lawyers to preserve the dignity and integrity of the legal profession through appropriate conduct; demonstrate faithfulness, competence and diligence in client representation; counsel clients effectively on informed decision-making and alternative dispute resolution; maintain civility and respect in dealings with opposing counsel; strive for excellence in advocacy while being a moral voice for clients and society; and model respect for courts through honesty, knowledge and appropriate conduct. Visit the TBA website for more information.

Several new laws will take effect in Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2026. HB749 invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, with a penalty of a class-B misdemeanor; HB1200, also known as "Savanna's Law," creates a domestic violence offender registry to be maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation based on information from court clerks, the Department of Correction and local law enforcement agencies; and HB1376 enacts new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry. The 114th General Assembly will reconvene Jan. 13, 2026, for its second session. The Nashville Post and The Tennessean have details on the new laws.