Sessions from the 2025 Animal Law Forum are now available on demand. The sessions explore conservation funding and green business practices at the Nashville Zoo, legal challenges tied to development in sensitive habitats, key issues in equine law and ethical considerations in animal law cases. The forum also included a session on the practical realities of practicing animal law in Tennessee with a focus on dangerous dogs, veterinary malpractice and custody disputes. Additional programming examines the use of K-9s and equine in law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations, with a focus on training, regulation and legal concerns. All sessions are available individually on the TBA CLE website.

Mississippi lawyer Carlos Eugene Moore was reinstated to the active practice of law in Tennessee on Jan. 5. He had been suspended for one year on March 27, 2025, retroactive to the date of suspension in the state of Mississippi. Moore filed a petition for reinstatement on Nov. 21, 2025. The Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition to be satisfactory.

The TBA is hiring for two positions: Data & Systems Specialist and Executive Assistant. Those interested in either job should send a cover letter explaining interest in the position and a resume by email to Human Resources & Administrative Coordinator Tanja Trezise. The Data & Systems Specialist will support the TBA’s daily operations by managing and optimizing the organization’s core platforms, including the association management system, learning management system, bulk email platform and website. This role ensures data accuracy, maintains functional system workflows, builds and updates website pages, and provides consistent support to staff who rely on these systems. The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted administrative and strategic partner to the Executive Director, supporting TBA’s leadership, governance processes and organizational operations. The position manages executive workflows, coordinates high-level communications, prepares critical documentation, and ensures the Executive Director’s work is well-organized, informed, and aligned with the association’s mission and strategic goals. Learn more about both of these positions on the TBA’s career webpage.

Employers often face the tension between giving honest feedback about former employees and the risk of defamation or tort liability if a former employee claims a reference was malicious, false or misleading. In The Law at Work, Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow explain how understanding the scope, strengths and limitations of Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-105 is essential for any lawyer counseling Tennessee employers on reference disclosures and risk management.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals recently reaffirmed in Boatman v. Odziana that a trial court may order equal (50/50) parenting time, that trial courts must include provisions for holiday parenting time in residential parenting schedules, and that bans on a parent’s ability to obtain passports and travel internationally with minor children cannot be ordered absent a finding of “a credible risk of abduction” pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-6-604 (a). Marlene Eskind Moses and Ansley Owens Tillett explain in the Family Matters column.

This issue's Closing Statements features answers to the question "What ways have you found to mentor other lawyers and why is it important for you to do so?

In this installment of President's Perspective, TBA President Heidi Barcus reminds readers of the importance of self care, even when it feels less than appealing.

The first installment of The Legal Life in 2026 features several updates from the TBA, including an announcement of the 23rd Leadership Law class, the YLD's 2026 Diversity Leadership Institute cohort, award winning TBA programs and more!

Tennessee Bar Association members who have died recently are memorialized.

Read about the lawyers who have recently been reinstated, disbarred, suspended, censured or transferred their licenses to disability inactive status.