General, Solo & Small Firm Section members have access to quality TBA CLE programming that can be purchased using a section member discount. Join colleagues for any of these upcoming forums this fall: Disability Law Forum, Hot Topics in Real Estate, Health Law Forum, Environmental Law Forum or the Administrative Law Forum. Join colleagues in November for the fourth annual Raising the Bar program, produced by TBA's Women in the Profession Committee. Or, get registered for the TBA Conference on Artificial Intelligence and the Law, coming up in December, where attorneys can dive into technological advancements in the legal field. Looking for something else? Check out the TBA CLE catalog to find more courses focused on the needs of solo and small firm practitioners!

The defendant, Omerrieal Dywane Woods, was convicted by a Hamilton County Criminal Court jury of one count of facilitation of reckless homicide, two counts of facilitation of attempted aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a firearm with the intent to go armed. The defendant was sentenced to an effective six years in the Department of Correction. On appeal, the defendant argues that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction. After reviewing the record and considering the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The State appeals the trial court’s order granting the defendant’s motion to dismiss the five- count indictment against him on denial of speedy trial grounds. Following a thorough review of the record, the briefs, and oral arguments of the parties, we reverse the trial court’s grant of the defendant’s motion to dismiss, reinstate the indictments against the defendant, and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.

Following the denial of a motion to suppress, the defendant, Mark Ketron, pled guilty to driving under the influence (“DUI”), DUI per se, and violation of the light law, for which he was sentenced to an effective term of eleven months and twenty-nine days suspended to probation after service of forty-eight hours in jail. On appeal, the defendant asserts that, as part of his plea, he reserved the right to appeal the denial of his motion to suppress. Following a thorough review of the record, the briefs, and the oral arguments of the parties, we conclude the defendant failed to properly certify a question of law pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. Accordingly, this Court is without jurisdiction, and the appeal is dismissed.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared ready to strike down a 2024 congressional map in Louisiana that a group of voters has challenged as the product of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, Reuters reports. During nearly two-and-a-half hours of oral arguments, the court’s conservative justices signaled they are likely to limit Section 2, which bars voting maps that would result in diluting the clout of minorities, even without direct proof of racist intent.

The TBA Health Law Section will provide lunch for section members at its business meeting during the annual forum on Nov. 14. The section will recognize and celebrate the leadership of Section Chair Imad Abdullah and formally vote on leadership for the 2025–2026 bar year.

This free event is open to ALL section members regardless of forum attendance. A link to RSVP is included below. Space is limited and the form will close once attendance is at max capacity. Please contact Section Coordinator Jarod Word with any additional questions.

When: Friday, Nov. 14, 12:15-1:15 p.m. CST
Where: Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Room 214, Nashville 37203

RSVP NOW

The TBA Health Law Primer will take place Nov. 12 in the Nashville office of Barnes & Thornburg. Now in its 25th year, the program provides an opportunity for lawyers new to health law to learn the essentials of the practice area. Experts will provide an overview of the U.S. health care system and discuss the intangibles regarding the transactions, reimbursement issues, fraud and abuse, and more. Health Law Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Register now.

This year’s TBA Health Law Forum returns to Nashville Nov. 13-14. The must-attend event for Tennessee health care lawyers allows you to fulfill all necessary CLE requirements for the year and meet with colleagues from across the state. Topics at this year’s forum include controlled substances enforcement, medical malpractice, the "Big Beautiful Bill," AI contracting issues, GLP-1s and telehealth, ethics, and much more. Health Law Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Learn more and register here.

The 2026 law school admissions cycle just began and data from the Law School Admission Council indicates the pool of applicants is 33% larger than it was at this time last year. According to Reuters, experts attribute the increase to the political climate and a tough job market for new college graduates. The current increase comes on top of last year’s boom, when the cycle started with a 26% jump in applicants before ending in an 18% increase — with 12,000 more people seeking a seat in law school.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Maryland lawyer Mohammad Ali Syed on Oct. 9. Syed had been on inactive status since Oct. 22, 2018. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that the reinstatement petition was satisfactory and that Syed met the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, § 10.8(c).