The Association for Women Attorneys will hold its 36th Annual Banquet and Silent Auction on Jan. 21 in Memphis. The event is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. in Suite 3300 of the Tower Center at Clark Tower. Maureen T.  Holland, owner of Holland and Associates PC, will be honored as AWA’s 27th recipient of the Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award for outstanding achievement in the legal profession. Contact AWA banquet co-chair Laura Deakins, 423-413-0716, to purchase tickets. The deadline to purchase tickets is Jan. 14.

The Advocate & Democrat reports gun legislation and broadband service will be among key issues Tennessee lawmakers will address in the legislative session scheduled to begin Jan. 12. Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, announced plans to introduce a bill that would allow for college and university faculty and employees on Tennessee’s college campuses to carry handguns on school grounds if they have a valid permit. Follow TBA Impact throughout the legislative session for up-to-date information on bills of interest to the Tennessee legal community.

Terry Stevens was sworn in Monday as a new interim judge for one of Roane County’s two General Sessions courts, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The 31-year-old previously worked as an assistant district attorney general in the Ninth Judicial District. He replaces Jeff Wicks, who in December was named by Gov. Bill Haslam as the district's new Criminal Court judge after long-time judge Eugene Eblen retired. A special election is scheduled in August to decide who will fill the remaining six years of Wicks’ term.

Republican candidates for a criminal court judge position gathered Monday at the Pachyderm Club for a debate before the March 1 election. Candidate Mike Little said that Gov. Bill Haslam made a mistake in appointing Tom Greenholtz as judge, saying Greenholtz lacks the experience in criminal cases. Greenholtz responded by saying the main requirement for the position is to be an administrator and cited his past experience handling budgets and employees. Boyd Patterson, who announced his candidacy yesterday, also participated. There are no Democratic candidates. Read more from The Chattanoogan.

The Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy, published by the University of Tennessee's College of Law, is currently accepting articles from Tennessee attorneys for its spring issue. Topics should involve policy issues impacting Tennessee. Articles along with a CV must be submitted by Jan. 25 to articles editor Hannah Kay Hunt.

Volunteers are needed for upcoming Wills for Heroes Clinics around the state. These sessions provide free wills and other end of life documents for first responders in Tennessee. The next clinic is scheduled for Jan. 9 at Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan in Knoxville. The clinic at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel in Chattanooga is scheduled for Jan. 16. View the schedule of clinics and additional information.

Police seized a vehicle and commenced forfeiture proceedings. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security mailed notices of the forfeiture proceedings to the driver and the owner of the vehicle, but the postal service returned the notices undelivered. When no petition was filed asserting a claim to the vehicle, the Department entered an order of forfeiture.

This appeal arises from the termination of Father’s parental rights on two grounds, severe child abuse and persistence of conditions, and the finding that termination of his parental rights was in the best interests of his children. Father appeals the trial court’s findings of persistence of conditions and that it was in the best interests of the children to terminate his parental rights; however, Father does not appeal the trial court’s finding of severe child abuse. Because Father did not appeal the ground of severe child abuse, the trial court’s finding on that ground is final.

Homeowner filed suit against Defendants alleging intentional misrepresentation as to contractor licensure, construction skills, and code compliance, breach of implied duty of good faith and fair dealing, and violation of Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-6-136 for misrepresentation of licensure in connection with a $27,500 contractor agreement for home improvements. The trial court concluded that Defendants committed intentional misrepresentation, breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and violated Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-6-136.