The TBA YLD will host the webcast “Drug Court 101” in recognition of National Treatment Court Month. The program will provide an overview of Tennessee’s recovery courts, historically known as drug courts, and will cover recovery court practices, the Tennessee Drug Court Treatment Act, addiction and brain science, best practices for working with participants with substance use disorders, and the challenges and successes of the drug court model. The webcast is designed to help attorneys effectively represent clients and is open to all lawyers, particularly criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, juvenile and family law attorneys, and general civil practitioners. The CLE will be moderated by Hamilton County Circuit Judge and TBA Young Lawyers Division President Alex McVeagh and will feature Shannon Morgan, director of Hamilton County Accountability Courts. More information and registration are available on the TBA website.

The TBA International Law Section's annual forum — set for tomorrow in TBA's newly renovated CLE classroom — will provide an overview of the trade and investment landscape as it concerns Tennessee in 2026 and beyond. Programming will focus on Tennessee's foreign direct investment, global health perspectives and partnerships, international financing, global sales and supply chains, and more. Participants will have the opportunity for direct interactive discussions with speakers, and the chance to network, learn about best practices and chart a path to increase capacity for internationalization. Get more information and register here.

Programming at TBA’s 2026 Convention kicks off June 11 at 9 a.m. EDT with Catherine Sanders Reach, director of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Center for Practice Management. Every legal tech vendor has an AI pitch, but is your firm actually ready to buy? Reach will cover how to audit current technology for gaps and redundancies, calculate real ROI on the tools already owned, and build a framework for evaluating new products. Reach has spent over two decades helping legal professionals integrate technology into their practices. She has been with the North Carolina Bar Association since 2018. She previously was director of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center and director of law practice management and technology at the Chicago Bar Association. She currently is chair of the ABA Law Practice Division’s Professional Development Board. Check out all the CLE planned for Convention and register today! Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.

Registration is now open for "Justice Without Lawyers: Working in Legal Deserts" on July 29 at 11 a.m. CDT.  This one-hour virtual program will explore the significant and growing challenges surrounding indigent representation and the increasing prevalence of legal deserts. A panel of judges and attorneys will examine the underlying causes of limited access to counsel, discuss practical strategies for expanding the availability of legal services — including through appointed representation — and consider emerging solutions being advanced by courts and the broader legal community. This free program also will address the professional responsibility and ethical considerations implicated in access-to-justice issues. One hour of dual CLE credit is available for a nominal fee.

The TBA will host the “Using AI to Accelerate Your Writing” webcast on June 24 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT, focusing on how attorneys can use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency in legal writing without sacrificing accuracy or professional judgment. Presenter Ryan Standil of Write To Excite will discuss effective prompting techniques and demonstrate how AI can help lawyers identify weaknesses in drafts, including faulty logic, ambiguity, inconsistency and tone issues. The program will also address the limitations of AI in legal communication, including verbosity, overreach and lack of human nuance, while offering strategies for using AI tools more effectively in practice. More information and registration are available on the TBA website.

To honor National Treatment Court Month, the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will host “Drug Court 101: What Every Non Drug Court Lawyer Needs to Know About Tennessee’s Recovery Courts” as a webcast CLE on June 3 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will provide an overview of Tennessee’s recovery courts, including best practices, the state’s Drug Court Treatment Act, addiction and brain science, and strategies for effectively representing clients with substance use disorders. Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge and TBA YLD President Alex McVeagh, who formerly presided over the misdemeanor track of Hamilton County Recovery Court, will moderate the program alongside Shannon Morgan, director of Hamilton County Accountability Courts and a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience in substance use treatment and recovery courts. More information is available on the TBA website.

The TBA Litigation Practice Section is continuing its “Perspectives From the Bench” series next Thursday at the new TBA office in Nashville. The program will feature a conversation with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins and former Supreme Court Justice and current Nashville School of Law Dean Bill Koch. Attorneys Hunter Branstetter with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and Todd Presnell with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will moderate the discussion, which will focus on each justice's path to the bench, the role of mentors, the importance of the Rule of Law and more. Make plans now to join colleagues for this informative program on May 21 from 3-4:30 p.m. CDT and a networking reception that will follow at 4:30 p.m. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The TBA will host a one-hour CLE program, “Beyond the Hype: Practical Applications of AI,” on May 19 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT via webcast. The program will provide attorneys with a foundational understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) works and offer practical ways to incorporate it into their practice. The session will be led by John Haines, an East Tennessee attorney who focuses on divorce and family law and has a strong interest in using technology to improve efficiency and accessibility in legal practice. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.

Tennessee lawyers will gather in June for the 2026 TBA Annual Convention, This year's CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit. Among the sessions to be offered is “12 Time Management Things Attorneys Should Do, But Don’t” presented by attorney and productivity consultant Paul Unger of the Affinity Consulting Group. The program will focus on practical strategies attorneys can use to improve workflow, reduce stress and increase efficiency through better time management and productivity tools. Affinity is a member benefit parter with the TBA. Check out all of the resources they offer at TBA's Law Firm in a Box. More information about the 2026 Convention and the registration form are online.

The TBA’s annual Immigration Law Forum will take place May 15 at the new TBA office, located at 3010 Poston Ave., Nashville 37203. In today’s rapidly evolving immigration landscape, the forum will cover key policy updates and practical topics for Tennessee attorneys, including a legislative update from Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, D-Chattanooga, practice management tips, an ethics discussion with the Board of Professional Responsibility on fee changes, and a session with Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition leadership on using court petitions for immigration advocacy. The in-person program will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT and offer up to five general credit hours. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.