Woodland Hills Youth Development Center in Middle Tennessee was already having problems in the months leading up to the escape of 32 teens from the facility, according to recent data. The information obtained by The Tennessean shows between January and early September, there were 145 reported incidents of violence at Woodland Hills. Everette Parrish, an attorney appointed to represent the civil rights of youths at the facility, said he has received several reports from youths who escaped and returned, or were captured, that physical abuse had factored into their decision to flee. A special unit within the Department of Children's Services has opened investigations into abuse and neglect of teens at the facility, officials said last week. The Johnson City Press has more. 

Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold is joining a design review committee to provide security input for a new judicial building, the Daily News Journal reports. The new facility -- estimated to cost $65 million -- is supposed to open within four years on a block north of the overcrowded Judicial Building on the Public Square in Murfreesboro. It will provide criminal justice space for the fast-growing county, which reached a U.S. Census estimated population of 281,029 in 2013

Memphis-based Baker Donelson is participating in the OnRamp Fellowship, an innovative program to provide women lawyers re-entering the legal profession an opportunity to update their skills and legal contacts through one-year paid positions with top law firms. "Ensuring the retention and advancement of women attorneys continues to be a challenge for the legal profession," said Christy Crider, chair of Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative. "The OnRamp Fellowship program addresses that challenge by offering experienced female attorneys, many of whom have taken a break from their careers in order to focus on their families, the opportunity to return to the legal profession and expand their experience and skills.” The Chattanoogan has the story.

Email Newsletter Editor Tracy Kane (2014) at tkane@dodsonparker.com with personal and professional updates, news or other announcements!

Want to get more involved with TBALL? The alumni association has an opening for an East Tennessee Representative. The position is a three-year appointment. Contact Leadership Law Coordinator Brittany Sims for more information.

Brad Morgan (2013) has been appointed the Associate Director for the Institute for Professional Leadership and Values Development at the University of Tennessee.

Sonya Wright (2014) gave birth to Spencer Allen Wright on August 15, 2014. He weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and measured 20 ¾ inches. Parents and baby are doing well. Wright is a member of Hagan & Farrar, PLLC in Murfreesboro.

Hagan & Farrar, PLLC has added a new associate, I’Ashea Myles Dihigo, a 2014 graduate of the inaugural class at Belmont School of Law. This brings the firm to five attorneys, led by three TBALL alumna, Mary Beth Hagan (2013), Amy J. Farrar (2011) and Sonya Wright (2014). Hagan & Farrar, PLLC is a full-service business law and litigation firm focusing on construction law, appellate law, and first party insurance litigation.

Morgan & Akins, PLLC — founded by Nashville attorneys Mike Morgan and Nick Akins (2014) — is excited to announce the opening of two new office locations in Atlanta and Lexington, Kentucky. Along with the Nashville office, these locations will serve clients throughout the Southeast in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Morgan & Akins attorneys specialize in a variety of practice areas, with a focus on workers’ compensation and insurance defense. For more information on practice areas and office locations please visit www.morganakins.com.

Jeff Yarbro (2011) won his primary race for the Tennessee State Senate on Aug. 7. He will be on the November general election ballot as the Democratic nominee for the 21st Senate District in Nashville. He is grateful to all TBALL alums who supported and encouraged him along the way.

In a change of policy this year, the Leadership Law Steering Committee is encouraging nominators and alumni to speak with their nominees about the program. We hope all alumni share their wonderful TBALL experiences with their nominees and encourage them to apply by Oct. 10. The Alumni receptions this year are open to potential applicants to meet alumni and Steering Committee members before they apply. As usual, alumni will get to fellowship and reminisce with fellow alumni! The reception in Memphis at Glankler Brown was a huge success; many thanks to Andre Mathis (2014) for hosting! Please join us at the other receptions in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville. RSVP with Brittany Sims

“Southern Justice,” a new weekly TV show that features the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, premiered Wednesday on the National Geographic channel. The show explores the work of law enforcement agencies in Sullivan County and Ashe County, North Carolina. "Our hope is that the show will give residents an idea of some of what our officers encounter on a daily basis," the sheriff's office said in a statement this week. TriCities has more. 

New Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is expected to bring “consistency and predictability” —  two keys the business community looks for in the judiciary, Nashville attorney Gif Thornton tells the Nashville Business Journal. Marc Hill, the chief policy officer at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, stressed the importance of “knowing where the new attorney general comes from,” pointing to Slatery’s role with Haslam’s administration. “Tennessee has had a reputation as a business friendly state across administrations, both Democrat and Republican,” Hill said. “Beyond the partisan label, what business folks are most focused on is that the new attorney general comes from an administration that believes in creating a prosperous business environment across the state.” Slatery will be the first Republican to fill the position in nearly 150 years.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, alongside Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, introduced a bill Tuesday to reform the National Labor Relations Board (NLBR). The “NLRB Reform Act,” targets ending “partisanship” on the board, encouraging timely decisions and reining in activist NLRB general counsels, the Nashville Business Journal reports. Alexander’s bill would increase the NLRB board from five members to six, requiring three Democrats and three Republicans (a majority of 4 would be needed to make a decision). “Thousands of private-sector workers in Tennessee are affected by decisions made at the National Labor Relations Board – which for too long has been acting as an advocate for one interest or another instead of an impartial umpire,” Alexander said. “It’s time for the board to restore stability to workplaces in Tennessee and throughout the country – with nonpartisan decisions made more quickly, assisted by a neutral general counsel.”