Chattanooga family law and criminal defense attorney Alan Ray Beard died Oct. 3 at age 69. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Southern Illinois University and served two tours in the U.S. Army, including time as a judge advocate general (JAG) attorney with the 101st Airborne. Details on a military service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by the Companion Funeral Home.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday filed a brief in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the federal district court correctly rejected NetChoice’s demand for emergency relief from Tennessee’s Protecting Children from Social Media Act. The law requires social media companies to verify a new user’s age; obtain parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts; and allow parents to supervise, modify and deactivate their child’s account. NetChoice, a trade organization that represents tech giants like Google, Meta, Pinterest, Snapchat and X, sued Tennessee in October 2024 seeking to enjoin the act’s basic protections. Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

Enrollment is now open for the Tennessee Bar Association’s BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee group health insurance plan, available exclusively to TBA members. The plan offers guaranteed issue coverage with no health questions or pre-existing condition exclusions and may deliver savings compared to your current health plan. Don’t wait! Enroll today and give your firm the benefits it deserves. Watch this Q&A with Buck Orrison with TBA Member Insurance Solutions to get answers to your questions about coverage in the coming year. Not part of a group? TBA also offers a dedicated health plan for solo attorneys.

Microsoft 365 offerings combine an always up-to-date install of Microsoft Office with email hosting, mobile apps and web-based apps. Compare Microsoft’s 365 options with this link. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

Registration is open for this year's Disability Law Forum. Join colleagues Oct. 23 via Zoom for three virtual sessions that will cover a variety of topics applicable to disability law practitioners. These include a session with Jennifer Cronenberg from the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), a course dedicated to preparing for an administrative law judge hearing, and a Disability Determination Services/Office of Hearings Operations update with Kim Joseph and James Stanfield. Other speakers include Lena Beal, John Dreiser, Emma Drozdowski Webb and Christopher George.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will present a new installment of its Rookie Series on Jan. 29, 2026, at noon CST in collaboration with the TBA's General, Solo & Small Firm Section. The live webcast "Opening Your Own Firm" is tailored to aspiring solo practitioners and entrepreneurial attorneys interested in launching a solo or small law firm, and will help those lawyers begin answering the question "Are you ready to build your own legal practice and take control of your career?" Whether fresh out of law school or transitioning from an established firm to a solo practice, or launching a firm with colleagues, this program will provide a valuable opportunity to learn from attorneys who successfully have made similar transitions. The webcast will cover essential steps for opening a firm, including practical tips and common pitfalls to avoid, as well as providing information on how the TBA may be an asset during the transition. For more information and to register for the program visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 6 dissolved a temporary suspension imposed Sept. 9 on Sumner County lawyer William Shea Forgety. The suspension was imposed after Forgety failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. The court reports that Forgety now has responded to the complaint and complied with all conditions imposed by the order of suspension, and immediate dissolution of the temporary suspension is appropriate.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Sept. 29 directed the Board of Professional Responsibility to hold an immediate hearing on a petition from Michael Lloyd Freeman to dissolve a suspension imposed on Sept. 3. The court suspended Freeman for failing to respond to the board about four complaints of misconduct. Freeman alleges he has responded to the board and should be reinstated. The court directed the board to consider the petition and report back to the court with its recommendation.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 6 referred two cases to the Board of Professional Responsibility for “whatever action” it may deem warranted. The court referred the case of Madison County lawyer James Richard McFall, who was found guilty of driving under the influence and was sentenced to 56 hours of incarceration and 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation. It also referred the case of Davidson County lawyer Kenneth Ervin Yager, who was found guilty of driving under the influence in Georgia and was sentenced to 12 months, with one day to be served in custody and the remainder to be served on probation.

The TBA’s Animal Law Section held its annual forum at the Nashville Zoo, where attendees heard from experts on issues affecting veterinary clinics, equine concerns, conservation, sensitive habitat development, case law updates, ethics and more. Participants also had the chance to explore the zoo during lunch and meet some of its residents, including a skunk, tamandua, hairy armadillos and rhinos. Attendees also learned about the blue-tongued skink and observed him running amok in the CLE room. See photos from the event.