This case involves a dispute over a parcel of real property. Because of the profound deficiencies with Appellants’ brief, we dismiss the appeal and remand the case to the trial court for a determination of damages under Tennessee Code Annotated section 27-1-122.

Two law firms seek accelerated interlocutory review of the denial of their motion to disqualify the trial judge. Because there is a reasonable basis for questioning the judge’s impartiality, we reverse and remand for reassignment.

The TBA Local Government Practice Section will host its annual forum as a hybrid event, with the in person option held in Knoxville from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Topics include the pros and cons of school resource officers, property rights and development, First Amendment auditors, and the annual legislative update. Go here for full live virtual details. 

The Nashville School of Law presented its annual Robert Ballow Excellence in Writing Awards last month. Eight students were recognized for their performance in the Rigorous Writing Exercise program that is a requirement for graduation. Each student worked with a volunteer mentor from the legal community. All submissions are evaluated by a panel of legal writing experts who determine finalists and award winners. Read more about the winners and finalists.

The Hamilton County Criminal Court Division II unveiled a new portrait of Judge Rebecca Stern in honor of her 18 years of service and for initiating the county’s drug court program. The painting was commissioned by former Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz. "There are a lot of attributes to her legacy here in Hamilton County -- in my view, the creation and running...the drug recovery has to be at the very top," Greenholtz said as reported by the Chattanooga Free Press. Stern, who is now in private practice, was the first woman to preside over a criminal court in Hamilton County. The drug court was first started as a pilot program in 2005 before becoming permanent. “It was probably my proudest accomplishment and the thing that gave me the most hope,” said Stern.

Gov. Bill Lee on Monday signed the Forever Homes Act, which calls for shorter waiting periods for foster care and adoption services as well as providing additional resources, WDEF reports. Signing the act in Chattanooga, Lee told reporters he has confidence that the upcoming special session of the state legislature will see the passage of his proposed order of protection law to keep guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. Lee said his proposal will “...strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights. There needs to be a way to separate those who are a danger to others and to themselves from access to weapons and protect the rights, in particular second amendment rights of Tennesseans.”

Tennessee state representatives Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Justin Pearson, D-Memphis and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville met at the White House Monday with President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss their efforts to propose new gun reform legislation in Tennessee. Reps. Jones and Pearson temporarily regained their legislative seats last week after their expulsion for participating in protests on the House floor. The trio has since become known nationally as the “Tennessee Three.” While at the Oval Office they also discussed the upcoming special session called by Gov. Lee to consider his proposed “order of protection” law. "The message has been very clear from Tennesseans – both Republican and Democrat, white and Black, and rich and poor – that something must be done," Pearson said outside the White House as reported by the Tennessean. "And in this special session, the expectation is that a law gets passed that can actually protect our communities."

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 12 attorneys last week for failure to pay the annual registration fee; three of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2023 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The TBA's IP Law Forum on effective patent prosecution strategies related to AI, as well as the role of AI and Web 3.0 in copyright and trademark disputes, will take place this Friday. As the world of artificial intelligence rapidly takes shape, what about the resulting impact on innovation, authorship, and the broader landscape of intellectual property law? Courts, attorneys, inventors, artists, and brand owners are now regularly being confronted with new problems, issues, and strategies driven by AI on both the IP protection and enforcement fronts, and that trend will likely explode in the coming years. The four hours of programming will also include one hour of dual credit on IP-related ethical issue. A reception will be held Thursday evening.

The Knox County commissioners rejected a resolution drafted by local high school students that urges lawmakers to pass Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed “order of protection law.” On Saturday, Lee announced he will call the state legislature to a special session to consider the bill. The resolution from students in the new Junior Commission was presented for a vote by the commission's two Democrats, Courtney Durrett and Dasha Lundy. “This resolution is in no way, shape or form extreme,” West High School junior Caroline Scoonover told the commission as reported by KnoxNews. “We’re simply trying to protect ourselves with common sense solutions.”