On March 5, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) gave a budget presentation to the Senate Judiciary Committee that provided a thorough and candid analysis of the crisis affecting the court system and the need for greater funding for court-appointed counsel. On March 20 — during the Tennessee Bar Association's (TBA) second annual Day on the Hill — the TBA had the opportunity to present testimony before the state House Civil Justice Committee, and on March 26 to the Senate Judiciary Committee, sharing perspectives from Tennessee attorneys. TBA President Jim Barry and Bedford County attorney Garrett Haynes testified before a packed room at the House Civil Justice Committee, and TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. They all spoke passionately about the need to increase the hourly rate and caps for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent.

TBA's Public Service Award are presented annually, honoring three Tennesseans who are champions of legal aid and pro bono work.

The 2024 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala was hosted April 20 in the Nashville offices of Bass, Berry & Sims, offering a wonderful opportunity for supporters to meet and connect with colleagues from across the state. Event attendees included representatives from sponsoring companies and firms, as well as leaders from the TBA and the Tennessee chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). The event included presentation of the inaugural Branham Grants, in support of a pilot legal services project between West Tennessee Legal Services and Aspell Recovery Center. The Branham Grants were established in honor of long-time access to justice champion Andy Branham, who passed away in 2022. Read more and see photos from the event. 

St. Ives (aka St. Ivo) is recognized as one of the two “patron saints of lawyers” of the Catholic Church, the other being the better-known Sir Thomas More. Russell Fowler writes about the saint who led a life in the belief that faith and justice are intertwined.

In his final president's column, Jim Barry shares a look back on his year as TBA president.

In this installment of "The Law at Work," Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow break down a case that reads more like a screenplay from HBO’s award-winning series Succession than a court decision.

John Day offers a digest of tort cases that are currently pending before the state's highest court in this installment of Day on Torts.

Marlene Eskind Moses and Ansley Owens Tillett tackle a complicated case around child support obligations in "Family Matters."

Eddy Smith's latest "Where There's a Will" column deals with the inevitability of death and the peace that comes with having your affairs in order.

Linda Warren Seely, TBA's Access to Justice committee chair, reviews Ashley Wiltshire's Everyday Justice: A Legal Aid Story, which chronicles the creation of what we now know as Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.

TBA’s annual Big Shrimp legislative reception at the law firm of Spencer Fane followed TBA Day on the Hill, giving TBA leaders and members a chance to meet with legislators and their staff in a casual setting to continue conversations on topics important to the profession.

In this Access to Justice-themed installment of The Legal Life, read updates on Legal Services Corporation funding, ABA and TBA Days on the Hills, progress on TBA's ATJ initiatives, as well as TBA updates, including an introduction to our new assistant executive director.

Tennessee Bar Association members who have died recently are memorialized.

Read about the lawyers who have recently been reinstated, disbarred, suspended, censured or transferred their licenses to disability inactive status.