The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) is aware of a phishing email circulating that falsely appears to come from Executive Director Sheree Wright and asks recipients to confirm a phone number. The TBA has confirmed that (1) the message is fraudulent, (2) no TBA systems or member data have been compromised, and (3) the attackers obtained email addresses from sources outside the organization. Several other state bar associations nationwide reported the same scam today. Please delete the message if you receive it and consider reporting it to your IT contact or security team, and be assured that the TBA does not request unsolicited personal or contact information by email. Thank you to those members whose quick reports helped TBA staff identify the issue. Learn more about phishing scams affecting the TBA and how to protect yourself.

TBA's Administrative Law Section is hosting its annual forum virtually on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST. This year's program includes a discussion about warrantless searches by administrative agents, an ethics update and more. Speakers include Laura Chastain, Chief Administrative Judge Phillip Hilliard, Administrative Judge Mary Collier, Bill Penny and Jerry Taylor. Register now!

Memphis attorney William Carey Bateman Jr. died Nov. 26 at age 87. He graduated from East High School in 1956 and after a year at the University of Tennessee, enlisted in the U.S. Army. Batemen went on to graduate from Memphis State Law in its first graduating class of 1965. In his more than 40 years of practice, he was a partner at Johnson & Bateman, Bateman & Childers, and Bateman Gibson. He also served as an assistant city attorney during two mayoral administrations and as a JAG in the Navy reserves. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. CST on Dec. 5 at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38119. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 at First Evangelical Church, 735 Ridge Lake Blvd., Memphis 38120. A private burial will occur at Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Judge and Mrs. William Carey Bateman Memorial Scholarship at Union University.

The TBA's Year End CLE event is now underway with a range of packages that make getting your hours easy. The 15-hour package offers a mix of ethics, AI, law practice management, professional skills, attorney wellness and a 2025 legislative update. Check out the courses included in this package on the TBA website. Looking for something else? TBA also has six, eight, 10 and 12-hour packages, packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

On Nov. 26, the Tennessee Supreme Court imposed censures on Shelby County lawyers John Michael Bailey and Mark Anthony Lambert, both with the law firm of John Michael Bailey Injury Lawyers. The court found that the law firm was hired by a client for a personal injury matter. Lambert filed a complaint in federal court and included his law partner’s name when Bailey was not admitted to practice in that court. Neither Bailey nor Lambert filed a motion for pro hac vice admission and neither attended the initial case management conference or responded to a show cause order why the matter should not be dismissed. Their actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

Nashville health officials have installed free naloxone vending machines across the city as overdose deaths continue to decline, The Tennessean reports. Metro Public Health Director Sanmi Areola said the goal is to make the opioid antidote more accessible during a time when the holidays can increase stress for those struggling with addiction. The two-dose Narcan kits, are now available through three vending machines and at public health clinics. Davidson County recorded 99 suspected overdose deaths in the third quarter of 2025, an 18% drop from the same period in 2024, though fentanyl remained a factor in most fatalities. Statewide and national data also show overdose deaths trending downward, a shift officials attribute in part to wider naloxone distribution and increased awareness of addiction resources.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and its Mock Trial Committee have released case materials for the 45th Annual Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition, which will take place in February and March 2026. Students will present their best arguments in State of Tennessee v. Callahan, a criminal case centered around the murder of a member of an organized crime family. Local competitions will take place in February with the district winners advancing to the state competition, set for March 20-21 in Nashville. This year's competition also will include the Second Annual Artist in the Courtroom Contest. Following the state competition, Tennessee's mock trial winner and first place artist will have the opportunity to represent the state at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Des Moines, Iowa, May 7-9. Tennessee's 2025 state champion Montgomery Bell Academy took first place in the national championship in Phoenix, Arizona, this summer! Learn more about the 2026 case and thank you to Mock Trial Committee Chair John Jolley, Vice Chair Bridget Pyman and Long Range Planning Coordinator Ashley Tipton for their leadership.

Book publishers and literary groups are challenging Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s directive for public libraries to audit children’s collections and report on any books that include gender identity concepts. More than 30 groups have signed a letter expressing “profound concern” about the effort. They also argue that a presidential executive order, which Hargett cites in his directive, should regulate only federal agencies. Hargett has asked libraries that receive state or federal grant funds to make an “age-appropriate” review of books and file final reports by Jan. 19, 2026. He says the review is necessary based on the state's new Dismantling DEI Departments Act, and encourages libraries with questions to contact their county attorney. According to the Tennessee Lookout, some libraries have had to shut down temporarily to conduct the assessment.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected members for the 2026 Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) class. Starting in January, class members will embark on a six-month leadership and networking program designed to develop skills to succeed as law students and attorneys, build relationships among students of diverse backgrounds, and encourage involvement in the TBA and the legal community. Congratulations to Sara Ali-Amghaiab and Carole Rizkallah from Belmont University College of Law; Naimad Delgado, Sierra Dennis, Charleston Pritchett, Cayla Scott and Carlee Sullins from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; Ronal Bueso, Marilyn Harrison-Bates and Cecilee Tinajero from Nashville School of Law; Abigail James from University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; and Dimend Little from UT Winston College of Law. Special thanks to DLI Co-Chairs and Nashville attorneys Morgan Hanna and John Murphy for their work preparing for this new class.

The U.S. Justice Department plans to expand gun-rights protections with a new office in the Civil Rights Division dedicated to enforcing the constitutional right to bear arms, according to Reuters. The office, called the Second Amendment Rights Section, is expected to open Dec. 4 and will investigate local laws or policies that limit gun rights. The section also will carry out broad directives from a February executive order issued by President Donald Trump directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to assess any ongoing infringements of gun rights across the federal government. Earlier this year, the department launched a civil rights investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was delaying approvals for concealed-carry permits after gun-rights groups filed a lawsuit over the department’s process, fees and wait times.