MEMBER CENTER
Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021
Celebrate Pro Bono: Attorneys Play Changing But Vital Role
"In our legal community, pro bono work is an individual ethical responsibility that goes beyond simply volunteerism requiring the same high level of expertise and dedication as our regular billable work," writes DarKenya W. Waller in this article, "Pro Bono Attorneys Play Changing But Vital Role." Waller, who is executive director of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, celebrates the many lawyers and firms that contribute through its Volunteer Lawyers Program. "This week, attorneys across the country take part in Celebrate Pro Bono Week, during which we rededicate ourselves to this important portion of our jobs," Waller says. Learn more about the nation-wide effort during Oct. 24-30.
Custody After Same-Sex Divorce
When a same-sex couple divorces, Marlene Eskind Moses writes in her Tennessee Bar Journal column, "Family Matters," there are still questions that have not yet been addressed by courts in Tennessee. One such question has recently been settled by the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Potts v. Potts. The case determined the question, "if a child was conceived prior to same-sex couples being able to lawfully marry in 2015 and then the couple later divorced, does the spouse who had no biological connection to the child still have parenting rights?"
Resources for Solo and Small Firms Are Here
At the bedrock of Tennessee's legal community are the state’s general-solo and small firm attorneys, spread across three grand divisions, who often depend on the Tennessee Bar Association for connectivity. Considering this, the TBA has deliberately created specific resources to benefit these members. In this Section Showcase, read about two current initiatives — Scaling Small Law and the General-Solo FastTrack CLE — and how they build on this history of service and provide new learning opportunities for general, solo and small firm practitioners.
Passages: We Honor Members Who Have Died
Tennessee Bar Association members who have died recently are memorialized in each issue of the Journal. In this issue, read about the lives and deaths of Thomas Charles “Tom” Jessee, Judge Terry Lafferty and Leonard Stanley Chauvin Jr.
Next Up: Special Issue with Your Well-Being in Mind
The November-December Tennessee Bar Journal, coming soon, features ways to help lawyers improve well-being. Brought to you by the TBA Attorney Well-Being Committee, the issue covers building a culture of well-being within your firm, handling holiday stress, attorney skills helpful to caregiving, the importance of sleep and more. The issue also includes a tribute to the late Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Connie Clark. Also, watch for these columns: The Buddy System, Crime & Punishment, Older & Wiser and History's Verdict.
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