The U.S. Justice Department has filed an amicus brief with a federal appeals court explaining that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not protect workers from employment bias based on sexual orientation, the ABA Journal reports. The brief, filed with the en banc 2^nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, goes against the position of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Obama administration’s Justice Department. 

White County General Sessions Court Judge Sam Benningfield has ended a program that offered a 30-day reduction in jail time to inmates who voluntarily agreed to undergo a vasectomy or birth control implant. The Times Free Press reports that the order to rescind was filed Wednesday, a day before State Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris (D-Memphis) and state Rep. G.A. Hardaway (D-Memphis) requested Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery give his legal opinion on the constitutionality of the program. 

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will pay $6.5 million to settle Medicare fraud allegations, the Tennessean reports. The deal comes after claims from three former VUMC physicians that surgery scheduling practices from 2003 to 2011 violated Medicare billing regulations. A portion of the settlement money will go to state agencies and the whistleblowers, but under the False Claims Act, the majority of the settlement will go to Medicare. 

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) today announced the winners of its 2017 Access to Justice Awards. Caitlin “Cat” Moon and Larry Bridgesmith of Legal Alignment are recipients of the Janice M. Holder Award in recognition of their work addressing the intersection of legal needs and technical solutions in innovative ways, including collaborative work with the TBA. Other award winners include Carol Gish and Ashley Holliday from West Tennessee Legal Services, recipients of the B. Riney Green Award, and New Advocate of the Year honoree Christina Magráns-Tillery of Legal Aid of East Tennessee. The honorees will be celebrated during TALS’ Equal Justice University Conference Aug. 30 in Murfreesboro. 

The TBA Special Committee on the Evolving Legal Market (ELM) has launched an online discussion forum on the changing legal marketplace and the technology helping shape it. The committee hopes the forum will establish an online community of Tennessee lawyers who can ask or answer questions relating to the modern legal landscape, review new legal technology, discuss innovative marketing and business strategies and much more. You can read, learn and join the discussion here.

The TBA Special Committee on the Evolving Legal Market (ELM) held its second CLE in the Modern Law Practice Series this morning. The program covered legal services management companies, such as Counsel on Call, Latitude and Cobra Legal Solutions, and their role in the changing legal market. Professor Milan Markovic from Texas A&M University School of Law also spoke on the ethics of alternative legal service providers like LegalZoom and Avvo. The program is available on demand as oniline video.

The Greater Knoxville Business Journal has selected Jamie Ballinger-Holden (2015) as one of its “40 Under 40.” Each year, the “40 Under 40” program recognizes a group of 40 young leaders who are leaving their mark on Knoxville through their professional and philanthropic efforts. A link to the article may be found here.

Making the “40 Under 40” list for the Nashville Business Journal are Ashleigh Roberts (2015) and Gabe Roberts (2016). This list is comprised of men in women making big names for themselves in the Nashville business scene. The complete list of Nashville winners can be found here.

The law firm owned by TBALL Alums Amy Farrar (2011) and Sonya Wright (2013), Farrar & Wright, PLLC, purchased a new building and is now located at 122 North Church Street on the Square in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Amy and Jeff Farrar are also pleased to announce the birth of her third child, Samuel Freeman Farrar, 9lbs 12 ounces, born February 3, 2016.

Megan Arthur (2012) is excited to announce that effective February 15, 2016, she will join the law firm of Evans Petree PC in Memphis, Tennessee as a partner to continue to grow her domestic litigation practice and offer even more varied services to her clients.

Sherie Edwards (2010) is starting her fourth year as a Board Member of United Way of Williamson County, and second year as the Chair of the Community Impact committee.  Community Impact addresses the identification of the needs of Williamson County residents in the areas of Income, Education, Health, and Rebuilding Lives, and applies their resources to meeting those needs.  She has also been elected Secretary of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Small Law Department Committee, which has 6,700 members internationally, and is serving as a Mentor for the ABA TIPS Corporate Counsel section.

Tracy Kane (2013) was recently nominated and elected to serve on the Board of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). She was also recently elected to serve as Secretary of the Board of the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center, which ensures that all people in our community has access to mediation and can work together to safely solve conflict. She was also reelected to the Board of Sister Cities of Nashville where she serves as the Chair of the Nashville-Belfast City Partnership.

Sheri A. Fox (2008) recently left her practice at Baker Donelson to become the Executive Director of Legal Aid of East Tennessee, effective January 1, 2016. Her new contact information is: Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 535 Chestnut Street, Suite 360, Chattanooga, TN 37402, (423) 492-4756, sfox@laet.org.

DarKenya Waller (2011) of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands was named a “Women of Influence” in the category of Community Supporter by the Nashville Business Journal. The winners of this award were recognized for standing out in their fields, bringing their businesses to the forefront and helping others achieve success. The complete list can be found here.

Mark Ison (2013) of Sherrard & Roe, and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their first child, Evelyn Margaret Ison, into the world on October 13, 2015.  All have been happy and healthy since.

Charity Miles Williams (2015) is pleased to announce that she and her family have relocated to Nashville, TN, leaving behind wonderful friends and colleagues in Knoxville, TN.  Effective December 1, 2015, she started working as a staff attorney at the Tennessee Fair Housing Council (TFHC), where her primary focus is on housing discrimination.  Her new contact information is:  Charity Miles Williams, Staff Attorney, Tennessee Fair Housing Council, 107 Music City Circle, Suite 318, Nashville, TN 37214, (615) 212-3120 (direct line), (615) 874-1636 (fax), charity@tennfairhousing.org.

Effective January 1, 2016, Stephanie Coleman (2013) became a partner at Robertson Overby where she has practiced since 2008.

Miranda Christy (2013) recently joined the in-house legal team at UBS. Her new contact information is:  Miranda Christy, Director and Counsel, UBS Investment Bank, 315 Deaderick Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37238, Tel: 615.393.7800, Mobile: 615.945.9393, miranda.christy@ubs.com.

Inaugural TBALL class member Maria Salas (2004) was appointed Clerk and Master of the Davidson County Chancery Court, effective December 1, 2015.

Amanda Busy (2013) and her law partner, Adrienne Anderson, have purchased an office condo and their firm, Anderson Busby PLLC, has moved to 550 Main Street, Suite 700, Knoxville, TN 37902. Amanda has also been named President-Elect of the Knoxville Bar Association.

Effective January 13, 2016, Annie Christoff (2013) was elected a member of the law firm Bass Berry & Sims. Annie concentrates her practice in complex business, securities and patent litigation. She represents clients in traditional business litigation, intellectual property litigation, securities litigation and arbitration, and commercial disputes.

Alicia Brown Oliver (2004) is now Counsel at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Her new contact information is: Counsel, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, 1 Cameron Hill Circle, Chattanooga, TN 37402, (423) 535-2922, alicia_oliver@bcbst.com.

Leslie Beale (2012) has opened Profusion Strategies, a coaching firm for professional women. Leslie helps these ambitious ladies ditch their stress, regain their focus, and harmonize their personal and professional goals. You can find her at Leslie L. Beale, JD, Success Coach Profusion Strategies, Phone: (865) 228-5368, www.ProfusionStrategies.com

Tyler Yarbro (2012) and State Senator Jeff Yarbro (2011) recently welcomed a new baby girl. Katherine James Yarbro was born on February 18.

The University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville hosted its first symposium on professional leadership education on April 1. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon G. Lee and former University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer were among speakers at the event. The symposium, titled “Leading the Future," sought to teach lawyers and non-lawyers about leadership education in the United States by examining the techniques and observations of leadership development professionals from across the country. The event was co-sponsored by the College of Law’s Institute for Professional Leadership and the Tennessee Law Review.

Tennessee Bar Association Public Service Awards

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association recognizes outstanding service by attorneys and law students who have dedicated their time to helping others. The awards given are the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year, the Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year and the Law Student Volunteer of the Year. Read the stories of those recognized here.