The Tennessean reported Wednesday that the National Council for Adoption released a new study exploring birth parents' experiences following relinquishing their children for adoption. The study concludes that most birth mothers are satisfied with their decision but do face stigma, and that most still had contact with their children through an open adoption. TBA Adoption Law Section Executive Council member Dawn Coppock is quoted in the article.

Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold its McHugh Legal Help Clinic this Saturday at the Belmont Ministry Center, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204 (former home of Bass Street Baptist Church). The clinic will run from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. CDT. To volunteer contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131.

The TBA Adoption Law Section will hold its annual forum on Sept. 25 at the Tennessee Bankers Association's Barrett Training Center in Nashville. This year's program will focus on the new adoption legislation from this year's General Assembly session. Watch for more information coming soon on topics, speakers and schedule!

The Tennessee Bar Association invites you to join an exclusive Law & Culture in Ireland CLE program in May 2024. A four night trip to Dublin and a six night trip to Dublin and Belfast are available. In conjunction with CLEAbroad, travelers will engage with local experts, academics, officials and change makers who will offer in-depth commentary on the EU and UK legal-political systems, economics, environmental justice, history and religion. In Dublin, the group also will explore ancient castles, visit landmarks, museums and notable legal institutions, and sample local cuisine. In Belfast, travelers will learn about the region's unique political history, Good Friday Agreement, ongoing reconciliation efforts and peace process. Add on trips to the West Coast and Cliffs of Moher also are available. Sign up here to receive registration information and updates about the trip.

If you missed the webcast "Building Your Case Through Depositions" this past spring, catch it on replay next Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. You can't win a case in a deposition, but it can be one of the most important (if not the most important) discovery tools in preparing a case for trial. This program will cover tips and techniques on taking depositions, defending them and using them as a case progresses, including preparing clients for depositions. It also will cover tips on how to avoid and recover from common pitfalls.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld decades-old federal standards that give preferences to Native Americans and tribal members in the adoption or foster care placement of Native American children, rejecting a challenge that claimed that parts of the law were racially biased against non-Native Americans. Reuters reports that the 7-2 ruling threw out a lower court's decision that had struck down — as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law — a requirement that "other Indian families" receive preference in adoption and foster care after members of a child's extended family or tribe members.

On demand videos from this year's Dispute Resolution Forum are now available for purchase in the CLE Course Catalog. This year’s program featured sessions from accomplished professionals from the ADR vocation. Attorneys Stephen Shields and Cindy Ettingoff discussed settlement agreements, Isaac Conner shed light on the nuance in athlete negotiations, Matt Sweeney unpacked the differences in arbitration and litigation, and Linda Seely highlighted the value of pro-bono work in Tennessee and identified opportunities for this work across the state. Check out the individual videos or purchase the convenient 1-click CLE package.

Memphis lawyer Jim Barry was sworn into office as the 143rd president of the Tennessee Bar Association last month at TBA's annual convention. The oath of office was administered by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins during the TBA’s Annual Lawyers Lunch. Barry, who is retired from International Paper, highlighted his plans for the coming bar year, including a new housing subcommittee of the Access to Justice Committee to focus on evictions and affordable housing, an effort to expand the pool of attorneys in the state willing to do pro bono work, a new initiative to provide safe options for pets of domestic violence victims and an effort to keep lawyers engaged with the bar as they transition to retirement. He also pledged to continue several initiatives started by predecessors, including the Women in the Profession Committee, the Court Square CLE series, legislative advocacy to increase pay for indigent representation and eliminate the professional privilege tax, and the TBA book club, with the first book to be Beale Street Dynasty by Preston Lauterbach. Finally, Barry announced that the TBA would be traveling to Ireland in May 2024. Those interested in learning more about the trip can sign up here for updates. See photos from the event.

The July/August issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is available online. Our cover story is an interview with retiring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee about her career spanning more than two decades as a small-town lawyer to her appointment to the highest court in the state. Also featured is retired Judge Walter Kurtz's article on the Code of Judicial Conduct and its challenges in state courts, Amy Willoughby Bryant's piece laying out the case for the state to improve oversight of conservatorships, and Everett Hixson's article on the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling in Donovan v. Hastings that strengthens the state's "loser pays" statute. Also in this issue are columns from Buddy Stockwell, Wade Davies and Russell Fowler; a review of Jeff Hobbs' book "Children of the State;" as well as news from TBA's Annual Convention and President Jim Barry's vision for the 2023-2024 bar year. 

The flurry of opinions issued last week included one that bolstered the ability of employees to obtain accommodations at work for their religious practices, SCOTUSblog reports. The justices ruled unanimously in Groff v. Dejoy to revive a lawsuit by a Christian former mail carrier who accused the U.S. Postal Service of discrimination after being disciplined for refusing to work on Sundays. The case now goes back to the lower court for additional proceedings.