The Chattanooga Bar Foundation Fellows recently held its annual meeting to honor the Fellows Class of 2025, which includes Cameron S. Hill Sr., C. Scott Johnson, Judge Alex McVeagh and Steve Smith. Hill, a shareholder at Baker Donelson, focuses on construction and commercial litigation. Johnson, a shareholder at Spears, Moore, Rebman and Williams, has practiced trial law across Tennessee. Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge McVeagh is president of the TBA Young Lawyers Division. Smith, the public defender for the 11th Judicial District, helped establish the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Mental Health Court and has served as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association and the Tennessee Public Defender’s Conference. Read more about the new members in Chattanoogan.com.

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) honored Selendy Gay PLLC as its 2025 Pro Bono Firm of Year and Elizabeth Marlowe as Attorney of the Year. The New York City firm was honored for its work on the TennCare redetermination litigation, A.M.C. v. Smith, a class action in federal court. The firm stepped in as pro bono counsel, joining forces with TJC, the National Health Law Program and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, securing a victory in court. Marlowe left the full-time practice of law a few years ago and began volunteering with the Casework Team at the TJC. “I would urge anyone who is considering expanding their pro bono volunteering to consider putting in some time at TJC, even if it is just a few hours a month,” said Marlowe. “Out of everything I've done in my career, that was always the most satisfying, to run into one of my clients out in the wild with their families and see them thriving.” See photos from the awards reception and read more in a press release from the organization.

A Knox County grand jury has indicted University of Tennessee (UT) protesters who took part in on-campus demonstrations more than a year ago against Israeli actions in Gaza, according to records from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Seven of the 12 protesters indicted are scheduled for arraignment July 16 and July 22 in Knox County Criminal Court on charges of criminal trespassing, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $50 fine, Tennessee Lookout reports. The others are still awaiting court dates. Attorney Dillon Zinser, who represents one of the defendants, said they plan to fight the charges. The protesters, including university students and community members, were arrested May 2024, during a pro-Palestinian rally at the school. Two of those arrested also filed a federal lawsuit against UT in May 2025, claiming the school violated their First Amendment rights during the demonstration.

Crime continued to decline in the first half of the year, according to data the Memphis Police Department released Tuesday. The department’s data shows overall crime is down 20% through the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, The Daily Memphian reports. Murders are down 15% and aggravated assaults are down 14%. Shooting incidents are down 28% through June 30, and the number of shooting victims has dropped 31%. The department also shared historical data showing overall crime is down 34% compared to the midpoint of 2023 and down 3% compared to 2020. “While the data tells one part of the story, what matters is that people in our neighborhoods are starting to feel the difference in their homes, at work and as they raise their families here in our city,” police chief C.J. Davis said.

Registration is now open for the TBA's Journey to Morocco CLE program scheduled for February 2026. Join the TBA delegation to learn more about Morocco's diverse food, music, customs and architecture, as well as its social fabric and political systems. Morocco's location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa has endowed the country with a richness of culture and heritage preserved and perpetuated to this day. Today, Morocco is a thriving society embracing modernity. The core program, scheduled for Feb. 9-15, 2026, is a six-night experience that includes one night in Casablanca, two nights in the political capital Rabat, and three nights in the country's cultural capital Fes. Trip extensions also are available: explore Marrakech Feb. 6-9 before the core program starts and/or participate in the post-trip Saharan adventure to the Merzouga Desert Feb. 15-18. View a brochure for the trip or learn more online. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! The early bird registration rate expires Aug. 1.

The TBA will be closed Friday, July 4, for Independence Day. The office will reopen Monday at 8 a.m. CDT. As always, our TBA.org website has plenty of continuing legal education options and other information available to you 24/7. Reach out to staff directly using contact information posted on our online staff directory.

July marks a new chapter for the TBA YLD as the bar year begins. For young lawyers, July is an ideal time to recharge, reset your focus and set meaningful goals for the months ahead.

Take a moment to envision where you want to be by the end of the year. What kind of work motivates you? What new challenges are you ready to take on? This is a great time to set clear and meaningful goals that reflect your values and interests. Focus on areas that will help you grow, such as gaining confidence in a new practice area, contributing to a pro bono initiative or becoming more active in your legal community. Select a few goals that feel both purposeful and achievable, and create a plan to move forward with steady progress.

As a young lawyer, success isn't just about hitting deadlines or racking up billable hours. It's about working with purpose, rolling with the punches when things change, and making choices that help you grow and stay fulfilled in the long run. Use this moment to check in with yourself both personally and professionally. How are you managing your energy and well-being? Taking time to reflect and make thoughtful adjustments now can help you stay balanced, focused and prepared for whatever comes next.

Even if July does not mark the start of your fiscal year, it is still the midpoint of the calendar year. Take this opportunity to recharge and refocus so you can finish the year strong!

Cheers to a successful bar year!

JOHN K. BUSH, Circuit Judge. Saint Francis Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital- Bartlett (Hospitals), based in Tennessee, brought claims purporting to rely on their state’s common law for quantum meruit and unjust enrichment against Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, a Connecticut-based insurer. The Hospitals claim that Cigna, under its health insurance policies, routinely pays less than reasonable value when the Hospitals provide emergency care to Cigna members. The Hospitals have no contract with Cigna constraining the amount the Hospitals can charge Cigna’s members for emergency services. In other words, the Hospitals are, in insurance parlance, “out-of-network.” Nonetheless, the Hospitals argue they have a quasi-contractual relationship with Cigna requiring it to pay more for emergency care than what its health insurance contracts provide. They base their argument on federal and state law requiring both that hospitals treat all emergency patients who need their care and that insurers cover emergency care. Essentially, the Hospitals believe Cigna has a duty to pay the full value of their services regardless of whether Cigna contracted with its members to limit its liability.

President Donald Trump has nominated four people to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors. They are Knoxville lawyer and Knoxville Sports Authority Board member Jeff Hagood; Memphian Mitch Graves, the CEO of West Cancer Center and a current member of Memphis Light Gas and Water’s (MLGW) Board of Commissioners; Nashville businessman Lee Beaman; and Randall Jones of Alabama. Three of the vacancies were the result of Trump's firing members earlier this year. The Commercial Appeal and Knox News have more on the nominees, which now must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

In this accelerated interlocutory appeal, Father seeks to appeal the denial of his motion to recuse the trial court judge. Because we can find no evidence in the record of any bias that would require recusal, we affirm the trial court’s denial of the motion.