MEMBER CENTER
Friday, July 9, 2021
New 'Best Interest Factors' Help with Termination of Parental Rights Cases
Tennessee has new best interest factors for use in termination of parental rights cases, designed to bridge the knowledge gap and operationalize a modern understanding of child development, attachment and trauma. Most lawyers and judges will need to learn about this information to effectively use the new best interest law, and Dawn Coppock explains it all. In addition to the mechanics of the statute, this article offers a very basic summary of the current understanding and links to sources of more information. Take a look at the July/August issue.
Members Honored for Important Work at Convention
This year's TBA Annual Convention was a hybrid event at both The Peabody in Memphis and Online, and was spread out over six days — four days of that in person — with programming including continuing legal education, meetings of the House of Delegates, Board of Governors, Sections, Committees, Leadership Law (TBALL), Law School Alumni mixers, Young Lawyers Division and more. At the Lawyers Luncheon, new president Sherie L. Edwards was sworn-in by Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins and many folks were recognized with awards, including the late Judge Pam Reeves, Major General Albert Harvey, AC and Ruby Wharton, and Jonathan Steen. See the pictures and learn about all the award winners! Photo by Angela Spencer Photography.
What's Your 'Why?' New TBA President Explains
Newly installed TBA President Sherie L. Edwards writes in her first column about the hard year we have in our rearview mirror and what we have ahead of us. She also writes about purpose — your "why" — your reason for beginning a project, stepping into a new role or giving your time and money to an organization. She explains the "why" behind her decision to run for president was simple: "to use this role to promote attorney wellness initiatives and to bring business education (in addition to our subject matter CLEs) to our members."
Legislative Report: What Happened with Those Controversial Legal Bills?
Also in this issue, TBA Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley report on this last session of the Tennessee General Assembly. It concluded on May 5 after addressing several controversial legal issues in the very last hours of the session. Get the details about what happened with the professional privilege tax, indigent representation reform, and the twists and turns that led to the final outcome regarding how to modify the way in which cases concerning the state are handled, and particularly which judges would hear those cases at the trial court level.
Tennessee Bar Journal
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