Matthew Stephen Heiter died Nov. 29 at age 64 after a difficult bout with cancer. Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he graduated from the University of Mississippi and Vanderbilt Law School. Heiter practiced law in Memphis for many years, first at Waring Cox and later at Baker Donelson. He also served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for NN Inc., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based global manufacturer. Funeral services will take place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 13 at 1:30 p.m. CST. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome memorial gifts to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1669 Central Ave., Memphis, TN 38104, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Whether you’re leading a meeting, arguing at trial or speaking at a conference, you want to communicate in a professional manner with confidence and credibility. Mimi Bliss of Bliss Communications has updated her popular workshop for 2025, providing actionable techniques that attorneys can implement immediately, including tips for virtual presentations, panel discussions, networking events, business meetings and speaking engagements. Join colleagues on Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. CST for this can't-miss webcast replay.

In April 2025, the TBA will travel north to experience downtown Louisville and its rich bourbon heritage on the Urban Bourbon Trail with four hours of dynamic CLE programming, a welcome dinner and distillery tours. Save the dates of April 4-5 for this unique CLE experience! Registration will open soon.

Join Brent Jones from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Knoxville on Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. CST for an end-of-year update on federal law. Earn one general credit hour with this one-hour webcast. Get more information and register here.

An investigation is ongoing into claims of sexual misconduct at the Mountain Home James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Johnson City. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chair Mike Bost, R–Illinois, said the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provided the committee with documents related to an internal investigation into the allegations. Bost confirmed that the information revealed that sexual relationships and misconduct did occur on the VA property at Mountain Home. The House committee has been investigating the matter since July. WJHL has more on the allegations.

Attorney Robert Roe "Bob" Campbell died Dec. 6 at age 94. A lifelong Knoxville resident, Campbell graduated from the University of Tennessee, both undergraduate and the College of Law. After college, he served on active duty as an Army officer, including a tour of duty in Korea before admission to the bar. Campbell began his law practice in 1956 and practiced with Hodges Doughty & Carson for over 60 years. During his career he served as president of the Knoxville Bar Association, chair of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission, chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and was a life member of the 6th Circuit Judicial Conference. Campbell also was active in state politics, including serving as Sen. Howard Baker's statewide campaign chairman. A memorial service will be held at Second Presbyterian Church, 2829 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919 on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. EST. Memorial gifts may be made to Second Presbyterian Church.

Hamilton County commissioners plan to discuss at a meeting on Wednesday a proposal from County Mayor Weston Wamp to replace long-serving county attorney Rheubin Taylor with Janie Parks Varnell. Taylor has served as the county attorney since 1993 and his contract expires in June. When Wamp took office in September 2022, he attempted unsuccessfully to fire Taylor, citing Taylor's handling of public records and his work on noncounty legal business. The commission supported Taylor, and a judge ruled Taylor could serve out his term. The proposal calls for Varnell to start in January and transition into the role. Though Taylor's term expires in June, some are considering keeping him on as a contract counsel through the end of 2025. Wamp recently scheduled a private meet-and-greet — which he says was strictly informational — for commissioners to interact with Varnell. Some feared the gathering violated Tennessee’s open meeting laws. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) last week announced Kathy Sinback’s departure from the role of executive director. In a release, Sinback said, “It was an honor for me to build on the work of the legendary Hedy Weinberg and to help position ACLU-TN for future success. It is evident now more than ever that we need nonpartisan organizations like ACLU-TN to unite people around common values such as freedom, democratic participation, due process and respect for our neighbors.” The ACLU-TN Board of Directors has named Phyllida Burlingame as interim executive director and is initiating a search for a permanent executive director.

University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law has released Season Two of its "Show Cause" podcast. Episodes include discussions about the risks to Tennessee's wetlands, helping pediatric victims of gun violence through a partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety and LeBonheur Children's Hospital, and a new disability rights legal clinic launching in the spring. Listen to all episodes here.

TBA hosted its inaugural Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Law (TCAIL) Friday at the Tennessee Bankers Association Training Center in Nashville. The daylong program covered topics from AI in ethics, to the judiciary, to access to justice. AI Task Force chair A.J. Bahou kicked things off with an introduction to using AI in the practice of law, complete with real-time AI demonstrations. Bill Ramsey of Neal & Harwell, Clinton Sanko of Baker Donelson, Kyle Turner of Vanderbilt Law School, and David Wood of Prudent Jurist focused their panel discussion on practical changes that AI will bring to the practice of law. Their topics included how various technologies will enable lawyers to engage differently with technology to support client needs, how AI will transform legal research, and how tools are changing in document review and discovery. The second panel focused on AI in the courtroom and featured Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz, Circuit Judge Jimmy Turner and former judge Penny White now with the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Law. Up next, UT Law professors Ben Barton and Eliza Boles discussed AI's ramifications in the access to justice sphere, while Brian Faughnan focused his session on current and likely future ethical implications for attorneys. The day wrapped up with a session on digital evidence and AI use in public safety with Matthew Drewes, an enterprise business solutions architect for the state, and Richard Littlehale with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. See photos from the event.