The Tennessee Supreme Court has reappointed Hayden D. Lait of Memphis, Howard H. Vogel of Knoxville, and C. Suzanne Landers of Memphis to its Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission. Tracy Shaw, a lawyer with Howell & Fisher in Nashville, joins the panel for the first time and replaces Judge Ben Cantrell. There is one vacancy on the body following the death of Harold Archibald. Download the full roster
The Tennessee Supreme Court is soliciting comments on proposed changes to Rule 31 requested by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission (ADRC). The commission filed a petition on Nov. 2 asking the court to amend Sections 11(b)(6) and (12) dealing with operations of its Grievance Committee. Written comments should be submitted by Jan. 25. Download the court order and proposed amendments from the AOC website.
Don't miss the September Tennessee Bar Journal, featuring two articles on arbitration. One, by Adam Eckstein, explores when Rule 31 and the Tennessee Uniform Arbitration Act meet; the second, by Shelby R. Grubbs and Glenn P. Hendrix, unveils a new international concept for arbitration services. Columnists Marlene Eskind Moses and Beth A. Townsend give you ideas for finding hidden assest in divorces, and John A. Day discusses distribution of net proceeds in wrongful death cases. Humor columnist Bill Haltom pays tribute to a queen and a princess -- Pat Summitt and the influence she has had on his daughter and many other girls. President Jackie Dixon speaks out about merit selection. You probably already have it in hand, but you can also read it online here
Nashville lawyer and mediator Marnie Huff is featured on the cover of the Spring 2012 issue of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Magazine, which focuses on women in ADR. Huff serves as an elected member of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Council and is past chair of the TBA Dispute Resolution Section. (ABA membership is required to access the magazine.)
Two University of Memphis Law School Advocacy in Mediation Teams recently competed in an ABA Regional Competition in Williamsburg, Va. The team of Christopher Martin and Thomas Williams placed first in the competition, while the team of Caroline Giovannetti and Ryan Hagenbrook placed fourth among the 12 teams. The teams were coached by Steve Shields, with help from various members of the Memphis Bar Association's ADR Section. The first place team will continue to Washington D.C. in April for the national competition. The team is raising funds for its trip. Anyone interested in donating may send a check, made payable to the MBA ADR Section, to Linda Warren Seely at 109 N. Main, Suite 200, Memphis 38103.
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is seeking applications for two grant programs it administers. The first, the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP), was created by the state legislature in 1993 to provide alternatives to the courts for the resolution of felony, misdemeanor and juvenile delinquent disputes, and encourage community participation in such programs. The second, the Parent Education and Mediation Fund, was created as part of Tennessee's parenting plan law to provide court-ordered mediation, parenting education programs and other related services to families facing child custody matters. Organizations seeking to provide services under these programs should apply by April 23. Notification of grant awards will be sent in late May.
