The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee last week announced that Penelope R. Convertino, age 22, of Murfreesboro, has been charged with making a threat to murder a federal official with the intent to impede, intimidate and interfere with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties. “Our public officials should be able to do their jobs without receiving vile death threats,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Threatening public officials with deadly violence cannot and will not be tolerated. We will not hesitate to hold those who make these kinds of violent threats accountable for their crimes.” Read more in a press release from the office.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) recently announced in an email to TBA that it has received two new grants to help fund improvements to its services for low-income residents of Middle Tennessee. The Lawyers Trust Account has awarded LAS a $50,000 grant, which will fund the printing of forms and packets for pro se litigants, as well as a series of legal explainer videos for LAS's website. Additionally, Legal Services Corporation's (LSC) Pro Bono Innovation Fund has awarded LAS a $106,717 grant to implement recommended changes to its pro bono program. The recommendations came from a consultant who analyzed the program, which was funded by a previous LSC grant.

The Nashville Bar Association (NBA) recently announced the members of the 2026 Nashville Bar Foundation (NBF) leadership class. In 2014, NBF established the Leadership Forum — a nine-month leadership program for lawyers with three to eight years of experience — to bring together emerging leaders who participate in monthly workshops to help them realize their potential and benefit the legal profession and the local community. NBF President Laura Smith says, "We are proud to welcome the 2026 Nashville Bar Foundation Leadership Forum class. This distinguished group of attorneys represents the future of leadership in our profession. We are confident that their contributions will strengthen both the legal community and the broader Nashville community for years to come." Read more about the class in a press release.

Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski and Wall (HSGLaW) recently announced it has moved to new office office space in Nashville's midtown. “Our roots in Nashville run deep, and we’re thrilled to reaffirm our commitment to this community by moving into a new, purpose-built space,” said founding member Tricia Herzfeld. “Nashville is not just where we work — it’s our home. We look forward to continuing to stand up for working people in Tennessee and across the nation from this new base.” In addition to its Nashville headquarters, HSGLaW maintains offices in Cincinnati, Louisville and Washington, D.C. The firm now is located at 1920 Adelicia St., Ste. 300, Nashville 37212. Visit www.hsglawgroup.com for more information.

Retired Court of Appeals Judge Alan Highers died Aug. 27 at age 88. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Highers practiced law with Gerber & Gerber and with Neely, Green & Fargarson in Memphis until he was appointed chief magistrate at the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County. In 1982, Gov. Lamar Alexander appointed him to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section, and he later became the senior appellate judge in Tennessee. Highers retired in 2014, after 37 years of judicial service. Memorial gifts may be sent to The Highers Scholarship at Freed-Hardeman University, 158 East Main St., Henderson, TN 38340.

The Journal’s “back page” content looks a little different in 2025! Introducing “Closing Statements.” We’ll post a question here in each issue and invite you to submit your answer. Perhaps you’ll see your closing statement in the next issue! For this issue, we asked "How do you unwind? Do you have a creative or competitive pursuit?"

The cohort of the YLD's inaugural Rural Judicial Fellowship wrote reflective essays at the end of their fellowships. Click here to read them.

In this installment of The Legal Life, get a sneak peek at the TBA's new home, see the new section and committee leaders for the 2025-2026 bar year, say farewell to TBA's Access to Justice Director Liz Slagle Todaro, get information on Celebrate Pro Bono month and more!

TBA President Heidi Barcus shares her newfound respect for managers navigating the disparate needs of staff and stakeholders in her President's Perspective column.

The 2025 Equal Justice University (EJU) was held this week at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro with the theme "Moving Forward Together." The event included award and recognition events, CLE programs, committee and task force meetings and networking events. EJU, hosted by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), is the annual gathering of hundreds of lawyers, advocates, social worker professionals and pro bono attorneys involved in providing civil legal assistance and access to justice across Tennessee. Speakers during the conference included TBA President Heidi Barcus, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary L. Wagner and Sharon Roberson, president & CEO of the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee. Past TBA President Jim Barry also shared brief updates from the Drowota Trust.

Barcus was the featured speaker at EJU's Leadership Luncheon, sponsored by the TBA, where she thanked those working in the access to justice field and said the TBA is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to provide quality and accessible legal services across the state. Barcus acknowledged that legal aid is currently navigating growing client needs amid threats to funding. She recognized legal service organizations in the state for working together to build long-term strategies to help support clients and their families. "Through these challenges, you — and your teams, staff and volunteers — are continuing to provide life-changing legal services to those in need, every day," she said.

Barcus closed by noting the importance of educating and engaging Tennessee lawyers around the many ways to support legal services. She said "there is no shortage of needs or opportunities for attorneys, mediators, paralegals, students, to actively engage in support for legal services. We want to promote and help lawyers engage with meaningful opportunities to support" legal aid organizations. See photos from the luncheon and look for a wrap up of awards presented at the conference in TBA Today next week.