Join your colleagues in Memphis June 12-15 for the TBA's Annual Convention, the largest annual gathering of the Tennessee legal community. This year’s convention theme “A Bridge to the Future” reflects the historic role lawyers play in society, while looking ahead to how technology will affect the legal profession for years to come. Online registration for the TBA's Annual Convention closes at 11:59 p.m. CDT on June 9. Only on-site registrations will be accepted after that point. There are a limited number of hotel rooms available in the room block.

Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning book and Academy Award winning movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" has rekindled interest in the role lawyers play in leading their communities. This highly interactive three part series, taught by Doug Blaze and Buck Lewis — founders of the Institute for Professional Leadership at UT Law — will examine the lynching scene on the porch of the jail, the trial and the final scene on the Finch porch after an attempt on the Finch children’s lives. Sessions will take place virtually on July 31, Aug. 28 and Sept. 19. The full program qualifies for 4.5 dual hours of CLE. Register online for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

New lawyers were welcomed to the legal profession at swearing ceremonies in Knoxville and Nashville this month. Representatives from the TBA and local bar associations were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. See photos from the events.

Join the Nashville School of Law (NSL) on June 7 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel to honor the NSL Class of 1974 on its 50th anniversary. In addition, Nashville attorney Bill Harbison will be honored for his community service, including 15 years as a contracts professor at the law school.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) and Bradley partner each month to provide free business-oriented legal services to Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits. Assistance includes business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Registration is now open for the June 20 clinic. Clients should register by June 17. Attorneys interested in volunteering should email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

Judge Julia Smith Gibbons with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals was honored last week with a portrait unveiling at the Shelby County Courthouse. Gibbons was appointed to the Tennessee Circuit Court for Shelby County in 1981 by then-Gov. Lamar Alexander at time when the judiciary was made up of only 10% women, making her the first female judge for a trial court of record in Tennessee. In her remarks at the event, Gibbons asked current and former female judges to stand up, saying, “The legal profession is more diverse in many ways than it was in 1981, and we’re better for it.” The Daily Memphian has the story and photos from the event or watch a video from the ceremony.

New lawyers were welcomed to the legal profession at swearing ceremonies in Knoxville and Nashville this week. Representatives from the TBA and local bar associations were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. See photos from today’s events.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an executive order that will refuse asylum for migrants who cross the southern border when there is a high volume of daily encounters, The Hill reports. The ban will be in effect when the seven-day average of daily border crossings exceeds 2,500 between ports of entry, administration officials said. Under that criteria, the ban will go into effect immediately. Asylum restrictions will not apply to unaccompanied minors, and officials will continue to interview migrants who state a fear of returning to their country because of a threat of persecution or potential torture.

A report from the Nashville law firm Neal & Harwell found that Vanderbilt did not violate the First Amendment rights of Nashville Scene reporter Eli Motycka when he was arrested by campus police while covering a student protest in April. However, the report concluded that Vanderbilt's media policy, which is currently inaccessible to the public, should be published. The review also found that the policy was applied inconsistently in the incident. According to the Tennessean, the report states that while there were several missteps by police that led to the arrest, Motycka was not arrested to prevent coverage of campus protests but because he repeatedly tried to enter a closed university building.

Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday signed the Protect Tennessee Minors Act into law following bipartisan passage in the legislature earlier this year. The Tennessean reports that with this new law, Tennessee joins a growing list of states that are requiring websites with adult content to age-verify viewers, a move that is raising alarm from some First Amendment advocates who warn the law may have wider-reaching impact than initially expected. Similar laws have passed in 19 other states and are under consideration in seven more, but Tennessee is the only one with felony penalties.