Nashville attorney Joseph “Joe” Micajah Boyd Jr. died Feb. 10 at 97. Raised on a farm in Dyer County, Boyd served on active duty in the U.S. Navy before earning his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School in 1956 and returning to Dyersburg to practice law. He served as chair of the Dyer County Election Commission and as the first director of the Dyersburg Housing Authority, where he advocated for equality and civil rights during desegregation. In 1991, he was appointed district attorney general for the 29th Judicial District, a role he held for nearly two years. He moved to Nashville in 1993 to become general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, where he served until his retirement. Boyd was buried in a private ceremony Feb. 13 at the Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. CST Feb. 28, at Belmont United Methodist Church, 2007 Acklen Ave., Nashville 37212. Donations may be made to Operation Stand Down Tennessee or Belmont United Methodist Church.

A recent article in The National Jurist reports that members of the law student class of 2025 contributed more than 5.1 million hours of pro bono service nationwide — work valued at over $178 million. Beyond expanding access to justice in communities across the country, these experiences provide invaluable hands-on training, allowing students to apply classroom learning to real-world legal challenges. Among the schools highlighted was Vanderbilt University Law School, recognized for its work through The Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic. 

TBA Law Office Technology & Management Section Chair Zack Glaser will provide a primer on practical AI for law firms at next week’s TBA Estate Planning & Probate Forum. The session will introduce the concept of agentic AI and how lawyers can use it strategically in drafting client communication and firm operations. Glaser also will address implementation, change management, ethics and AI safety so these tools can be adopted with confidence. Learn more about the March 6 forum and register using this link.

The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) seeks applications for a legal consultant to provide advice and technical assistance in municipal law and municipal codes. The candidate will offer direct client assistance, develop and maintain timely technical reports, and teach training courses on MTAS initiatives. The position is based in the MTAS Knoxville, Johnson City or Chattanooga offices, but also qualifies for the University of Tennessee alternate work arrangement program. Learn more about this opening and others on TBA’s Career Center.

From document management to cybersecurity to managing your money, the day-to-day task of keeping a law firm operating at its maximum potential can be daunting and exhausting. The TBA's Law Firm in a Box has resources to help. Take advantage of checklists, white papers and more to keep your operations humming. The Managing a Firm section includes information about cybersecurity, disaster preparedness, document automation, financial management, technology and more.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Thursday's event will start at noon CDT and will focus on whether the court should consider modifying requirements for admission to the Tennessee Bar for those licensed in other states to promote interstate practice and mobility. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

The TBA Law Technology Section directory is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members with contact information and a list of any other sections or TBA groups to which they belong. This resource provides a great way to connect with like-minded lawyers and cross-reference attorneys well versed in other practice areas as well. View the section directory here.

Do you find yourself wishing you had other lawyers willing to discuss tricky issues? Maybe you are new to a particular area of practice and want to seek advice from more seasoned colleagues. A TBA benefit for section members may just be the resource you need. Each of TBA’s 33 sections offers a unique discussion forum just for members. Section Talk is a great way to connect with colleagues, become a more engaged and effective practitioner, and share wisdom with others seeking guidance. Sign up today and get talking! Follow these step-by-step instructions to get started.

Join members of the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee for a live interactive roundtable on how best to manage work-life balance as a legal professional. This 45-minute Zoom event on March 25 at 12:30 p.m. CDT will feature attorneys discussing their day-to-day practice and provide effective tools for personal well-being. While geared toward law students and young lawyers, this free event is open to all TBA members, but registration is required. Questions and feedback are encouraged. Submit questions in advance to jword@tnbar.org.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division's Mock Trial Committee is seeking attorneys to serve as volunteers for Round 4 at the 2026 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition, which will take place on Saturday, March 21, in Nashville from 12:30-2:30 p.m. CDT.  Teams will argue the criminal case of State of Tennessee v. Alex Callahan. The problem, rules and other competition information can be found on the TBA website. Those interested in helping at the state competition should indicate availability using this form.