The New Year's Eve ball drops in less than 48 hours and the TBA is here to help attorneys meet their CLE requirements with flexible, year-end programming. TBA CLE offers live webcasts and on-demand courses that can be completed from home or the office, whether you need a single hour or 15 to finish the year. Members can select from packages by hour (six, eight, 10, 12 or 15), by topic, by practice area or by building their own with more than 200 on-demand programs available. Topical and practice-area packages offer dual hours, making it easy to complete ethics requirements before the year ends. For more information and to browse the full catalog, visit the TBA website or contact support at cle@tnbar.org.

Twelve attorneys licensed in Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 39th annual TBA Academy this month. TBA President Heidi Barcus moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Those admitted before the high court were Nashville attorney Paige Bernick; Knoxville lawyer Stefanie Bowen; Nashville attorney Stuart Burkhalter; Memphis lawyer Chad Cardwell; Nashville attorney Stephanie Celada; Morristown lawyer Aaron Chapman; Lewisburg attorney Louisa Davis; Alabama lawyer Charles “Chip” Dawson Jr.; Texas attorney Orlando Dizon; Chattanooga lawyer Michael Kuebler; Knoxville attorney Brandon Morrow, and Nashville lawyer Bernadette Welch. See a photo from the event.

Step into the world of Dunder Mifflin and explore the antics of Michael Scott to uncover critical lessons in professionalism with Stuart Teicher. Learning objectives include the need for lawyers to preserve the dignity and integrity of the legal profession through appropriate conduct; demonstrate faithfulness, competence and diligence in client representation; counsel clients effectively on informed decision-making and alternative dispute resolution; maintain civility and respect in dealings with opposing counsel; strive for excellence in advocacy while being a moral voice for clients and society; and model respect for courts through honesty, knowledge and appropriate conduct. Visit the TBA website for more information.

Several new laws will take effect in Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2026. HB749 invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, with a penalty of a class-B misdemeanor; HB1200, also known as "Savanna's Law," creates a domestic violence offender registry to be maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation based on information from court clerks, the Department of Correction and local law enforcement agencies; and HB1376 enacts new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry. The 114th General Assembly will reconvene Jan. 13, 2026, for its second session. The Nashville Post and The Tennessean have details on the new laws.

Nashville law firm Brewer, Krause, Brooks, Chastain & Meisner PLLC recently shared with the TBA that it would dissolve as of Dec. 31, with several of its attorneys joining the newly formed Meisner Santiago PLLC, located at 545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 101, Nashville 37228. “Our focus remains unchanged — delivering experienced, efficient litigation defense and practical counsel our clients can rely on," says Managing Partner Steve Meisner. "The launch of Meisner Santiago PLLC allows us to continue that work with a trusted, experienced team of litigators while building a firm intentionally designed for the future. We are deeply grateful for the longstanding relationships we have developed and for the confidence our clients place in us, and we look forward to continuing to serve them with the same commitment, responsiveness and care in the years ahead.” The firm can be reached at 615-630-7715 or www.meisnersantiago.com.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on books, records and statute of limitations on Dec. 30 at 9 a.m. CST. During the session, department staff will discuss essential record-keeping practices and statute of limitations guidelines for state tax compliance. The webinar is part of a free series the department offers to the public. Registration is available on the department’s website.

Sevier County lawyer James Ralph Hickman was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 23. The court found that Hickman engaged in the unauthorized practice of law on July 10, 2023, and July 13, 2023, when he appeared in court on behalf of two clients and counseled the clients regarding the entry of guilty pleas while his license to practice law was suspended. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued Rule 56 to create the Appointed Counsel Commission, define its purpose and composition, set forth its duties, and establish requirements for appointment of counsel. The adoption of the rule comes after the governor proposed, and the General Assembly appropriated, funds for the Administrative Office of the Courts to establish the commission, the purpose of which is to retain and provide counsel in certain civil and criminal proceedings in which an indigent party has a right to appointed counsel. The new rule took effect immediately. Read more about the commission in past coverage from TBA Today.

Judges across Tennessee are adopting stricter, county-by-county measures to ensure people ordered to relinquish firearms in domestic violence cases are actually giving them up, according to reporting by WPLN News and ProPublica. The move comes after a proposed statewide reform stalled. According to the news sources, the shift was inspired by reforms in Scott County, which require written affidavits identifying who will take custody of surrendered guns and signed confirmation from the recipients — steps which are not required under the state’s standard form. At least nine counties, including Davidson and Shelby, have amended their gun dispossession affidavits as advocates warn that gaps in enforcement leave victims at risk.

Tennessee lawmakers voted unanimously to extend Tennessee State University’s (TSU) Board of Trustees for three years, signaling renewed confidence in the leadership of the state’s only historically Black and land-grant university following years of underfunding and state intervention, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The decision, made by a joint Government Operations Committee, comes after the legislature replaced TSU’s board in 2024 and amid ongoing efforts by new President Dwayne Tucker and trustees to stabilize operations and address decades of underfunding. Lawmakers praised recent progress and the university’s recent memorandum of understanding with the state allowing the use of $96 million in grant funds for operations and prior emergency state funding to support payroll and finances.