A one-hour webcast on Sept. 11 will help lawyers improve their arbitration skills. The “Top 10 Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mistakes Lawyers Make in Arbitrations” will highlight the mistakes most often made when trying a dispute in arbitration — which is much different than trying a case in court. Many commercial contracts now require that disputes be resolved via binding arbitration instead of in court, so understanding this process is critical to get the best results for clients. The webcast will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT. It follows a webcast on mediation being offered from 10-11 a.m. that day. David Taylor with Bradley speaks at both programs.

Looking to enhance your practice management skills? The TBA’s “Summer Success Series” has you covered. The series will offer four one-hour webcasts focused on law practice technology and management throughout the month of August. The series starts on Aug. 13 with Technology and Business Planning for a Law Firm, followed by Communication Breakdown on Aug. 15, Move Your Clients Up or Out on Aug. 20, and How to Create a Written Cybersecurity Plan for Your Organization on Aug. 22. Read the course descriptions, peruse the faculty bios and register at the links above or see the full line up here.

Still need to complete some or all of your CLE requirements for 2024? Now is a good time to escape the heat with summer packages designed with your convenience. Choose from five online options that can be viewed on-demand from the air-conditioned comfort of own home or office. Choose packages based on the number of credit hours offered, topic or practice area. Offerings include: Summer Essentials Complete Package (15 hours, including 12 dual), General Solo and Small Practice Bundle (15.5 hours, including 11 dual), The Rookie's Guide to Law (4 general hours), Ultimate Ethics Package (8 dual hours) and Women in the Profession Wellness Package (3 dual hours). Looking for something else? Check out all packages.

Whether you are catching up on CLE or just starting to meet your 2024 requirements, the TBA has a range of programs and packages developed just for you. Choose from five one-hour ethics webcasts, five topical or hours-based packages offering anywhere from three to 15 hours, or a special Summer Success Webcast Series focused on practice management skills. Watch for details about each of these over the next few days in TBA Today or get started perusing options in the TBA’s CLE course catalog.

U.S. District Judge Annemarie Axon in Alabama upheld new anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ students, rejecting arguments from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina that regulations from President Joe Biden’s administration overstep legal boundaries. Axon ruled that these regulations, which extend Title IX protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation, were reasonable and aligned with the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court decision. The ruling allows the rules to take effect in the four states on Aug. 1. Reuters reports that a total of 26 Republican-led states have sued over the rules. Six judges have blocked the rules from being enforced in 21 states pending the outcome of underlying lawsuits. Tennessee sued over the regulations in April. That led to an injunction on implementation of the rule, which recently was upheld by a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. The administration last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to set aside lower court decisions.

Madison County officials recently held a meeting to discuss plans for a new juvenile justice complex. According to Mayor AJ Massey, the county plans to negotiate with 10 out of 13 property owners to purchase their land for the complex. A commercial appraiser will determine a fair market value for the properties. The county will use eminent domain if necessary to acquire the remaining land. The new complex aims to provide necessary resources for juvenile offenders and prevent future crime. WBBJ News 7 has more on the plans, including comments from Madison County Juvenile Court Judge Christie Little.

A one-hour webcast on Sept. 11 will help lawyers who have been learning their mediation skills through trial and error. The “Top 10 Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Mistakes Lawyers Make in Mediations” will highlight the mistakes most often made with the goal of developing better mediation preparation and advocacy skills and achieving better results for clients. The webcast will run from 10-11 a.m. CDT. One hour of CLE and CME credit is available.

State Sen. Jon Lundberg has filed a criminal warrant against Bob Harshbarger Sr. — the father of Lundberg's political opponent Bobby Harshbarger and the husband of Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger — accusing him of vandalizing and stealing campaign signs. The alleged incident was captured on video by a Lundberg campaign volunteer. Lundberg claims that numerous campaign signs have been damaged or stolen in recent weeks. The Tellico Village Connection has the story.

A closely watched necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) baby formula trial has culminated in a $495 million judgment against Abbott Laboratories. The suit was the first NEC case brought against Abbott and only the second trial alleging that cow’s milk-based baby formula given to premature infants can cause the life-threatening illness. The suit alleged that despite “scientific consensus” that cow’s milk products can lead to NEC in premature infants, Abbott made no changes to its products, packaging or guidelines, and that the company breached its duty through misrepresentations in its advertising and promotional materials. The suit, brought in Missouri, was handled by Nashville-based Stranch, Jennings & Garvey PLLC and TorHoerman Law, with offices in Illinois and Missouri. Read more in a release from the firm.

An official autopsy has found that Shelby County Jail inmate Ramon McGhee died of severe anemia and dehydration, with contributing factors from insect infestation and schizophrenia, the Daily Memphian reports. McGhee died Jan. 12 in the hospital two days after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. McGhee’s family hired national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who commissioned an independent autopsy. That study found that McGhee died from severe neglect with malnutrition, dehydration, insect infestation and complications. Unlike the official autopsy report, it also ruled the death as a homicide. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation previously indicated it is looking into the death.