Retired Court of Appeals Judge Alan Highers died Aug. 27 at age 88. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Highers practiced law with Gerber & Gerber and with Neely, Green & Fargarson in Memphis until he was appointed chief magistrate at the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County. In 1982, Gov. Lamar Alexander appointed him to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section, and he later became the senior appellate judge in Tennessee. Highers retired in 2014, after 37 years of judicial service. Memorial gifts may be sent to The Highers Scholarship at Freed-Hardeman University, 158 East Main St., Henderson, TN 38340.

The 22nd Annual TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) program has launched its annual call for nominations for the 2026 class. Nominees should have from five to 15 years of experience in practice. Nominations are due Sept. 19 and should be submitted using this online form. Candidates from rural communities are especially encouraged, as their perspectives are vital to representing the full scope of Tennessee’s legal profession and maintaining the success of this impactful program. Last year, 35 lawyers from across the state were accepted into the program. The new class will kick off in January 2026 with an opening retreat at Montgomery Bell State Park and end next June with a commencement ceremony during the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville. Email TBALL coordinators Tanja Trezise or Jarod Word with any questions.

The Journal’s “back page” content looks a little different in 2025! Introducing “Closing Statements.” We’ll post a question here in each issue and invite you to submit your answer. Perhaps you’ll see your closing statement in the next issue! For this issue, we asked "How do you unwind? Do you have a creative or competitive pursuit?"

Federal tax law is a constant political battlefield, and changes are more frequent and more drastic than they used to be. Tennessee now makes annual updates to trust legislation, and keeping up is a bigger lift than it used to be. Eddy Smith explains important developments in T&E practice in Where There's a Will.

Every year, the Tennessee Legislature passes legislation that impacts tort law, and the 114th General Assembly was no exception. In Day on Torts, John Day shares a summary of seven bills that personal injury and wrongful death lawyers on both sides of the “v” need to know.

In this issue's installment of The Law at Work, Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow get down in the details of how the state's civil rights enforcement landscape could be reshaped with the dissolution of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) and the creation of a new Civil Rights Enforcement Division (CRED).

Most states and some U.S. territories offer some level of reciprocity to attorneys, allowing them to practice law in a state other than the one in which they’re licensed. Hal Hardin recounts his own fight for reciprocity with the state of Texas that went all the way to the Texas Supreme Court.

In 2021, the National Guardianship Network (NGN) brought together 125 advocates, family guardians, judges, lawyers, scholars and other stakeholders for the Fourth National Guardianship Summit. At the conclusion of the summit, delegates approved 22 final recommendations to improve and reform the adult guardianship system in the United States. Amy Willoughby Bryant examines how well Tennessee is meeting those recommendations four years later.

TBA's Public Service Awards are presented annually, honoring these Tennesseans who are champions of legal aid and pro bono work.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) inaugural Rural Judicial Fellowship paired six Tennessee law students with six judges across the state. Hon. Zack Walden and Alix Rogers highlight this innovative program that seeks to address the shortage of attorneys in rural areas.