TaxProf Blog, a 21-year-old staple of the law professor blogosphere founded by Pepperdine Law Dean Paul Caron, is shutting down after its host platform Typepad announced it will close on Sept. 30. Reuters reports that Caron said he does not plan to restart on a new platform but hopes to preserve the blog’s archive of nearly 56,000 posts, which have long chronicled developments in tax law, law school rankings and legal education. The closure also casts uncertainty over the future of about 60 other law professor blogs in Caron’s Law Professor Blog Network, many of which also rely on Typepad.

CoreCivic on Sept. 6 announced the appointment of Allen Beard Jr. as senior warden at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility. The Nashville Post reports that Beard replaces Guy Bosch, who was named warden in April after then-warden Vince Vantell was placed on administrative leave and soon resigned. Beard is the former director of the security threats and intelligence unit at the Tennessee Department of Correction. The facility has come under scrutiny in recent years due to its reputation of prison deaths, riots, assaults, mismanagement, high staff turnover and a pending investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) launched its fall visits to Tennessee law schools this week with a session at Vanderbilt University Law School. Thanks to YLD members Lorne Hiller, John Murphy, Jennifer Safstrom, Darius Walker Jr. and Kristen Walker for their contributions to this kickoff event. See photos from the day. During this year's visits, YLD leaders will speak with students about their entry into the profession and share information about TBA member benefits. Membership, which is free to law students, provides access to continuing legal education that can increase students' professional knowledge, opportunities to network, and savings on school supplies and insurance. Students also will be encouraged to apply for the 2026 Rural Judicial Fellowship program and the Class of 2026 DLI program.

Registration is open for this year's Disability Law Forum! Join your colleagues Oct. 23 on Zoom for three virtual sessions that will cover a variety of topics applicable to disability law practitioners, including a session with Jennifer Cronenberg from NOSSCR, a course dedicated to preparing for an ALJ hearing, and a DDS/OHO update with Kim Joseph and James Stanfield. Reserve your spot today!

The TBA Immigration Law Section will host the “Immigration Law Basics: Overview” webcast on Sept. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will offer a high-level overview of various areas of immigration law, including employment-based, humanitarian and family-based immigration. More details will be announced soon on the TBA website. Discounted registration is available for Immigration Law Section members. Not a member? Join today!

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) presented its annual Access to Justice Awards to five legal community leaders from across the state at the Equal Justice University in Murfreesboro. Chay Sengkhounmany, lead immigration attorney at Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands (LAS), received the B. Riney Green Access to Justice Award for her commitment to promoting successful inter-program cooperation across the state. Scott County Family Justice Center Executive Director Christy Harness was recognized with the Janice M. Holder Access to Justice Award for her contributions to advancing the quality of justice statewide by ensuring the legal system is open and available to all. Finally, TALS recognized three attorneys as New Advocates of the Year. They are: Michael Davis, managing attorney of the Knoxville Eviction Prevention Program at Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Jake Old, who serves as West Tennessee Legal Services' Consumer Unit manager; and Patricia Sellers, a staff attorney with LAS. The new advocate award recognizes those who use their legal skills in active and creative ways that produce outstanding benefits for individual clients and the communities in which they live. Read more about the annual awards on the TALS' website. 

The Defendant, Louis Wayne Frazier, pled guilty to the attempted sexual battery of his granddaughter. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of six years and ordered that the sentence be served in custody. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion in imposing the maximum sentence and denying his request for an alternative sentence. Upon our review, we affirm the trial court’s decision to impose a six-year sentence. However, we respectfully remand the case to the trial court for a new hearing regarding the denial of an alternative sentence.

Mother appeals the trial court’s ruling that (1) the grounds of abandonment by failure to support, mental incompetence, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody of the child supported the termination of her parental rights and (2) termination was in the child’s best interest. Although we reverse as to the ground of abandonment by failure to support, we affirm the remainder of the trial court’s ruling, including the termination of Mother’s rights.

The mother and father of Justice W., a minor, appeal the termination of their parental rights. The trial court found that multiple grounds for termination had been proven against each parent and that termination of both parents’ parental rights was in the child’s best interest. Finding no error, we affirm.

September 1, 2025 - September 5, 2025.