The 2025 Federal Practice Forum will take place on July 15 and will feature essential and practical content for attorneys. More details about the program will be announced soon on the TBA website.

Family law attorney K.O. Herston will lead “The Art of the Family Law Consultation” webcast on June 26 offering practical guidance for attorneys on how to conduct effective client consultations. The seminar will cover strategies for efficient and empathetic intake and managing consultations to build trust and rapport. Designed for both new and experienced practitioners, the program aims to improve consultation skills and boost client retention. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The TBA’s International Law Section will host a webcast on June 19 exploring the evolving landscape of tariffs and customs within the 2025 global market. “Tariffs and Customs: Insights into How to Navigate the Changes Within the 2025 Global Market” will examine current trends, trade disruptions and strategies for maintaining customs compliance. The panel will be led by Terry Olsen, chair of the International Law Section, and will include George Phillips of Phillips Ralston and Lee Broyles, vice president of international sales at Steam Logistics. Registration is available on the TBA website.

The CLE Performer Stuart Teicher is back with three new ethics webcasts on July 17! Shakira, Secrets and Scandals: Attorney Ethics and the World of Offshore Deals begins at 9 a.m. CDT, followed by Five Ways to Use Chat GPT Safely in the Practice of Law at 10:15, and wrapping up with The Office: What Michael Scott Teaches About Lawyer Professionalism at 11:30. Join your colleagues and earn one, two or three ethics credits.

A webcast on June 18 will cover upcoming changes to Tennessee’s foreclosure law, including a reduction in the number of required newspaper notices for foreclosure sales and a new requirement to post all sales and continuances online. Hosted by David Anthony of Exo Legal PLLC and Amy Heaslet of the Tennessee Bankers Association, the webcast will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. and include a discussion on how to comply with the new regulations taking effect July 1. Presenters will also answer participant questions. For more information and to register, visit TBA website. 

Commentators have offered vastly different approaches to the issue of whether arbitrators can and should perform independent legal research apart from the briefs submitted to them by the parties. With the growth of arbitration, it is prudent to reexamine those approaches to the extent they have limited arbitrators’ ability to conduct fulsome legal analysis. In this webcast, Gail Vaughn Ashworth and Chris Sabis will review different approaches to independent legal research, the applicable ethical rules and how courts have approached these issues. The speakers propose an approach that balances accuracy and efficiency with the quality of arbitration rulings and awards. Register for the June 25 webcast.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will host “The Rookie Series: Compassionate Lawyering” webcast on Aug. 27 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will introduce attorneys to the principles of trauma-informed legal practice and explore how lawyers can better serve clients — especially those from marginalized or vulnerable backgrounds — by incorporating empathy and awareness into their work. Mental health professionals will join the discussion to examine how legal systems can unintentionally retraumatize clients and offer strategies for compassionate advocacy across various practice areas. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

Save the date for the annual Federal Practice Forum, which will take place virtually on July 15 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT. Speakers and topics will be announced soon. Stay tuned here for more information.

The TBA will host a webcast on “Arbitration & Independent Legal Research” on June 25 from 11 a.m. to noon CDT. The session will feature Gail Ashworth of Wiseman Ashworth Trauger and Christopher Sabis of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. Additional details and information on the webcast will be available soon on the TBA website.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division continued its Exploration Series today at Fall Creek Falls State Park in Spencer, one of the state’s scenic natural landmarks. TBA members attended presentations from TBA YLD District Representative Mary Frances DeVoe, as well as John Rice, Thomas Shumate and Joanna McCracken, with Patrick Morrison, the YLD board’s health and wellness coordinator, serving as moderator. The event included a ranger-led hike to the falls and a group lunch. The Exploration Series offers members quality CLE programming in an unplugged, outdoor setting while fostering professional networking. Upcoming events in the series are scheduled at Meeman-Shelby Forest and Long Hunter state parks. See photos from the event.