Join your colleagues in Nashville on Jan. 23, 2026, for a full day of in-person construction law education tailored to both new and experienced practitioners, featuring introductory morning sessions that build foundational knowledge and advanced afternoon sessions delving into complex issues. The morning program provides a practical overview of essential topics, including preserving and enforcing lien rights, reviewing recent case law developments, and avoiding common construction law mistakes. After lunch, the focus shifts to more advanced matters, beginning with payment obligations and statutory compliance under the Prompt Pay Act, followed by an exploration of the growing role of artificial intelligence in construction projects and legal practice, and concluding with ethics considerations unique to construction law to support strong professional judgment and compliance. Reserve your spot today!

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider five applicants when it meets to select nominees for an upcoming vacancy on the Court of Appeals Eastern Section resulting from the retirement of Judge D. Michael Swiney on Jan. 12, 2026. The applicants are Jeffery Scott Griswold, Christopher Dunn Heagerty, Rachel Park Hurt, William Erwin Phillips II and Melissa Thomas Willis. Public interviews are scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. EST in the courtroom of the Knoxville Supreme Court Building at 505 W. Main St., Knoxville, TN 37902. After the interviews, the council will vote to send up to three applicants to the governor. For questions, contact Council Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Assistant General Counsel Laura Blount at 615-741-2687.  

COLE, Circuit Judge. After the bankruptcy court denied plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and granted partial summary judgment to Max Salas, plaintiffs obtained leave to pursue an interlocutory appeal in the district court. The district court affirmed and remanded the matter to the bankruptcy court for further proceedings. It did not certify the issue for appeal or the order as final. For their part, plaintiffs did not seek certification to this court. Because we lack jurisdiction, we must dismiss the appeal.

HERMANDORFER, Circuit Judge. Elizabeth Cristales-de Linares, a native and citizen of El Salvador, was denied a U.S. visitor visa. Two months later, she entered the United States illegally along with her two daughters. At a later removal hearing, Cristales-de Linares sought asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. She asserted fears that, if removed to El Salvador, men potentially associated with an unknown gang would target her because she is a Salvadoran woman and a business owner. The immigration judge denied her application. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed. Because Cristales-de Linares failed to establish that she qualifies for the relief she seeks, we deny the petition.

RITZ, Circuit Judge. After an immigration judge denied petitioners’ application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”), they appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). The petitioners timely submitted a brief in support of their appeal, but the BIA rejected the brief because it listed an address for their attorney that was different from the address provided on the attorney’s notice of appearance. So petitioners re-submitted their brief and moved the BIA to accept the now-late filing, but the BIA denied that request. The BIA then summarily denied petitioners’ appeal, on the basis that they did not file a supporting brief when they indicated they would. Petitioners petition for review of the BIA’s rejection of their brief and denial of their appeal. Because the BIA abused its discretion, we grant the petition for review.

Defendant, Jay Junior Heifner, appeals the Knox County Criminal Court’s revocation of the three-year term of probation imposed for his 2021 guilty-pleaded conviction of theft, arguing that the trial court was without jurisdiction to revoke his probation because the violation warrant was void and that the trial court erred by ordering that he serve the balance of his sentence in confinement. We conclude that because the affidavit in support of the violation warrant failed to comply with the statutory and rule-based requirements, the affidavit was void, the violation warrant was void, and the ensuing revocation proceeding was void. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the case is remanded to the trial court to determine whether, in the absence of a validly issued probation violation warrant, Defendant’s term of probation has expired.

This is an action to enforce a 2020 arbitration award (the “Award”), which was confirmed by the Chancery Court for Davidson County in 2021. The subject of the arbitration was Chevy Chase ASC, LLC (“CCASC”), a two-member Tennessee limited liability company, which was formed and operated by Chevy Chase G.I. Investors, L.C. (“Plaintiff”), and AmSurg Holdings, Inc. 1 (“Defendant”). The Award stated, in pertinent part, that the voluntary dissolution of Plaintiff would “trigger the mandatory dissolution” of CCASC. Following Plaintiff’s voluntary dissolution, however, Defendant refused to dissolve or wind up the affairs of CCASC. Defendant contended that it had the statutory right under the “dissolution avoidance” provision of Tennessee Code Annotated § 48-245-101(b) to continue operating CCASC as a single-member limited liability company. Relying on the Award and the 2021 court order confirming the Award, Plaintiff commenced this action to compel Defendant to dissolve CCASC and wind up its business affairs. Finding the Award to be unambiguous, the Chancellor ordered “the immediate liquidation and dissolution of CCASC. ” This appeal followed. Finding no error, we affirm.

In this divorce case, Father/Appellant appeals the trial court’s: (1) allocation of parenting time; (2) inclusion of special provisions in the parenting plan; (3) finding that Father was willfully underemployed; (4) award of an upward deviation in Father’s child support obligation; (5) division of the marital estate; and (6) grant of Mother/Appellee’s petition for divorce on the ground of inappropriate marital conduct. Discerning no error, we affirm. Wife’s request for appellate attorney’s fees is granted.

Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced that he will take senior status effective Oct. 5, 2026, The Chattanoogan reports. Varlan, who was nominated by President George W. Bush, has served as an active district judge for more than 22 years. He also served as chief judge of the district from 2012 to 2019. In commenting on his decision, Varlan said, “It has been my honor and privilege to have served our community and nation as a district court judge. I look forward to continuing to render substantial service to the court as a senior judge."

Republican Matt Van Epps prevailed over state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, in a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District Tuesday, The Tennessee reports. Van Epps edged Behn by nearly nine percentage points in a district Democrats have lost by more than 20 points in recent election cycles. With more than 95% of the votes counted, Van Epps received 53.9% of the vote, while Behn earned 45.1%. Van Epps, a West Point graduate and combat veteran who worked in Gov. Bill Lee’s administration, beat 10 Republicans to win the party primary.