An auctioneer filed suit against a recreational vehicle dealer for injunctive relief and damages; the dealer counterclaimed for fraud and other causes of action. A jury returned a verdict in favor of the dealer. Distribution of funds held by the court clerk was held in abeyance.

Petitions for the TBA YLD officer positions were due Feb. 15, and only the vice president election will be contested. Two individuals qualified for the position: Christian Barker and Michael Sandler, both of Nashville. Elections will take place by electronic ballot between March 1 and April 1. The remaining positions were filled via unopposed candidates.

Harper Lee, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “To Kill a Mockingbird”, died today (Feb. 19) at the age of 89. Attorneys since 1960 have been inspired by Atticus Finch, a noble lawyer who unsuccessfully defended a black man in the South wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Reuters reports Lee lived privately following her book’s success and spent her final years in Monroeville, Alabama.

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services announced 500 Tennessee attorneys have registered to volunteer with www.OnlineTNJustice.org, a virtual legal advice clinic. Since its launch in April 2011, more than 10,800 questions have been posted to the site. Other states have requested to use the site’s software to create their own statewide virtual legal advice clinics and development of a national platform is underway. “It really is a great system for lawyers to give back to the community in a way that is convenient and accessible to all parties,” said Jill Thrash, an OTJ volunteer attorney.

Appellant, Keyvin Lanier Glass, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and failure to appear. He received an effective sentence of four years, one year in confinement with the remainder suspended to supervised probation. His probation officer filed a probation violation report based on his breaking three probationary rules, and the trial court subsequently entered an order revoking appellant’s probation and ordering him to serve his full sentence in confinement. On appeal, appellant argues that the trial court abused its discretion.

This appeal concerns the termination of a mother’s parental rights. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (“DCS”) filed a petition seeking to terminate the parental rights of Michelle P. (“Mother”) to her children Phillip1 and Emily (“the Children”).2 After a trial, the Juvenile Court found that clear and convincing evidence established the grounds of substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan and persistent conditions, and that termination of Mother’s parental rights was in the Children’s best interest. Mother appeals to this Court.

Plaintiff H & J Ditching & Excavating, Inc. (Contractor) was hired by JRSF, LLC (Developer) to perform excavating and grading work on a subdivision construction project (the project) in West Knox County. Defendant Cornerstone Community Bank (Lender) provided financing for the project with a $2,512,500 construction loan. Complications arose, including the bankruptcy of one of Developer?s primary members. Developer defaulted on the construction loan. Lender foreclosed and took possession by bidding on the property at the foreclosure sale.

The petitioner in this parenting dispute appeals the trial court?s order entered September 17, 2015. Having determined that the order at issue is not a final order, we dismiss the appeal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

Attorney Barbara Mendel Mayden, formerly with the Nashville office of Bass Berry & Sims, is featured in the American Bar Association Business Law Today's Member Spotlight (pg. 41-43). Mayden in 2007 formed Young Mayden, a legal recruiting/consulting firm. She describes her career journey and shares advice for new lawyers just starting out. “You are proactive. You don’t wait for that assignment to come down the pneumatic tube (or the assigning partner, but often the same amount of thought goes into it),” she said.

Attorneys at Milwaukee-based Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, a minority-owned firm with more than 15 offices nationwide, learned the firm was closing at the end of this month in a conference call Monday. The firm, which employs more than 100 attorneys, is closing for unspecified financial reasons. Read more from the ABA Journal.