Sessions from this year's Construction Law Forum are now available for purchase in the CLE Course Catalog. Topics covered include contracts, dispute resolution, liens, the Prompt Pay Act, ethical considerations for each of these topics and a legislative update. Check out the individual videos or purchase the convenient 1-Click CLE package. 

The Tennessee Bar Association and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court are accepting nominations for the 2024 Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award through Monday. The annual award is presented to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the highest standards of the legal profession in Tennessee. This year's award will be presented to a lawyer or judge residing in the West Grand Division. Nominees must be alive when nominations are submitted but they need not be an active member of an American Inn of Court or the TBA. The award will be presented at the TBA's Annual Convention, which will be held in Memphis June 12-15.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted 5-3 to advance legislation that would move two judicial seats from Shelby County to other locations in the state. Before voting, the members heard from Memphis Bar Association member Justin Joy, who testified against the measure. Specifically, the bill, SB2517/HB2002, would move the circuit court seat held by state Supreme Court designee Mary Wagner to the East Tennessee district composed of Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties, while the criminal court seat previously held by Melissa Boyd would go to Montgomery and Robertson counties. Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, offered an unsuccessful amendment to keep the positions in Memphis, but then was able to add language stating that if the bill becomes law, there should be an identifiable backlog where those cases could be distributed to circuit court judges with concurrent jurisdictions. Read more from Action News 5. The House Civil Justice Committee also approved its version of the bill yesterday, sending it to the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee.

A bill that would make it a felony to help pregnant minors get abortion care, even if it includes taking them out of state, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. It is now headed to the Senate Calendar Committee to be scheduled for a floor vote, WBIR reports. The bill, SB1971/HB1895 – introduced by Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, and Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington – passed the House Health Committee in February, but was placed behind the budget in the House's Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee yesterday accepted the resignation of Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd, who has been charged with coercion of a witness and harassment, and then jailed after she violated her bond agreement by testing positive for cocaine. Erin Merrick, Lee’s chief counsel, notified Boyd’s attorney of the decision in a brief letter, the Associated Press reports. Earlier in the day, Boyd had submitted a letter to the Administrative Office of the Courts saying she would resign immediately, a move that avoided a vote by the General Assembly to consider her removal from office. Her criminal trial is set for April 24.

The Johnson City/Washington County Family Justice Center is commemorating April’s designation as Sexual Assault Awareness Month by holding a new clothing drive for female and male victims. Melanie Jaynes, the center’s victim services coordinator, tells the Johnson City Press that the clothing will be given to victims of sexual assault to wear after hospital examinations, as their own clothing is often collected as evidence. Donation barrels are available at city hall, Burn Boot Camp, First Horizon Bank and Johnson City Medical Center. Businesses interested in hosting a collection barrel should call the Family Justice Center at 423-722-3720.

Shannon Wagner has been named the new executive director of the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center. She replaced Sara Figal, who retired, on April 1. Wagner has been the center’s assistant director for the last year, with a focus on finance and programming. She previously worked on development at other nonprofits including Renewal House, the Nashville Public Library Foundation and the Martha O’Bryan Center. Wagner holds two bachelor’s degrees, a certificate in nonprofit management and leadership, and a master’s degree in conflict management. The Nashville Post reports on the move.

Early data from the February bar exam suggests that pass rates will increase and the attorney licensing test has stabilized after several years of volatility attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the national average score on the Multistate Bar Exam — the 200 multiple-choice question portion of the exam — ticked up 0.7 of a point to 131.8. That increase comes after two years of declines in the average score. In addition, the number of February examinees across the country was the highest in five years, at 19,496. Read more projections about this year’s data from Reuters.

The TBA has hired Lanny Brown as its next assistant executive director. Brown, who joined the TBA on April 8, is a 20-year veteran of the non-profit sector with more than 15 years of management experience. He most recently served as vice president of the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee and previously as curator of the Nashville Zoo. With a diverse background in all aspects of operations, Brown has extensive experience in organizational efficiency and utilizing available resources and technology to add value to the member experience. Brown also enjoys playing an active volunteer role in the community, specifically helping small fledgling non-profits navigate the early stages of founding and launch. An Arizona native, Brown and his family moved to Nashville in 2012. He replaces longtime Assistant Executive Director Barry Kolar, who retired at the end of 2023.

The TBA's upcoming Dispute Resolution Forum will be in person this year! An annual staple for Tennessee attorneys, the event provides insight from top professionals in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) vocation while allowing attendees to meet with other mediators from across the state. Sessions include ethics grievance and arbitration demos, a discussion of community mediation centers, changes in the arbitrability of sexual assault and harassment claims, and a course that covers settlement malpractice. Join us May 9 in Nashville at the Tennessee Bankers Association Barrett Training Center, located at 211 Athens Way, Nashville 37228. Reserve your spot today!