Join the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) for the next installment of The Rookie Series with "Family Law: Trends and Challenges" on March 5 at noon CST. The one-hour webcast program will provide an overview of family law, covering key areas such as marriage, divorce, child custody and support, and property division. Participants will learn about the legal principles that govern family relationships and the role of the courts in resolving disputes. The session will include practical examples and a brief discussion of current trends and challenges in family law practice. For more information and to register visit the TBA CLE website.

After last week's winter storm, many Nashville renters may be behind on their bills and possibly facing eviction. Metro Nashville's Eviction Right to Counsel Program helps connect tenants with free, experienced attorneys who can guide them through the legal maze. Eight lawyers from the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) and the Hispanic Bar Association are available to assist. In 2025, 13,000 Nashville renters faced eviction. DarKenya Waller, executive director of LAS, told News Channel 5 that "Unfortunately, Tennessee laws are not very forgiving for unpaid rent. So even if you have not had your repairs done, there are resources on the legal aid website to help you notify your landlord of the needs that you have and you must document everything."

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday heard oral arguments in NetChoice v. Skrmetti. The lawsuit challenges Tennessee’s "Protecting Children from Social Media Act," which became law in May 2024 and requires social media companies to verify users’ ages, obtain parental consent before minors create accounts and provide parents with basic supervision tools. “Our law imposes a minimal burden,” said Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice during the arguments. “The only thing preventing minors from accessing social media is these companies’ desire to maintain their ability to exploit kids through lopsided legal contracts.” NetChoice, an association with members including Google, Meta and YouTube, argued that the law infringes on minors' First Amendment rights. Read more in a press release from the Tennessee Attorney General's Office or from Courthouse News.

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is accepting applications for a workers’ compensation judge in Nashville/Murfreesboro for a term beginning July 1. The position is eligible to be appointed for three additional full terms. Applicants must have a valid, active Tennessee law license, be at least 35 years old and have at least seven years of experience handling Tennessee workers’ compensation cases. Completed questionnaires must be sent to Marie.Halpin@tn.gov on or before Feb. 24. For additional information, contact Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Administrator Troy Haley at Troy.Haley@tn.gov.

A recent Bloomberg Law special report, "Path to Practice: Law Students Lack Client Savvy Skills, AI Savvy," found that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the skills law students are expected to develop as well as hiring decisions. The report found that 75% of attorneys expect new hires to know how to cite-check AI-generated materials, yet fewer than half of third-year law students say they are proficient in AI. Nearly two-thirds of 3Ls also report insufficient experience with interpersonal skills, such as client counseling, as law schools continue to emphasize legal rules, theories and principles. The findings are based on a survey of more than 1,800 practicing attorneys, law faculty and law students. Read the full report from Bloomberg Law.

The TBA YLD will hold an Essential Documents clinic for the Blount County's Sheriff's Department on March 27 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST. The clinic will be held in collaboration with the McKinnish Law Group and Spicer Rudstrom PLLC at the Blount County Justice Center located at E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville 37804. Contact Joey Maus or TBA YLD District Representative Alexandra Jones for more information or to volunteer. 

BLOOMEKATZ, Circuit Judge. Cortez Blake was convicted by a jury of aiding and abetting kidnapping. On appeal, Blake challenges his conviction and sentence on five grounds, spanning pre-trial motions, evidentiary objections, sufficiency of the evidence, and conditions of supervised release. We affirm the district court on four of the five grounds, but we remand this matter for the district court to resolve the discrepancy between the oral pronouncement of sentence and the written judgment.

READLER, Circuit Judge. Brandie Nicole Appleton pleaded guilty to possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute and possessing stolen ammunition. Although the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines recommended 41 to 51 months of imprisonment given Appleton’s offense level and criminal history, the district court sentenced Appleton to five years of probation. Appleton’s good fortune, however, would not hold. Less than two months later, she was arrested for possessing an unprescribed controlled substance in violation of the terms of her probation. That offense caused the district court to revoke Appleton’s probation and resentence her to a term of 44 months of imprisonment. On appeal, Appleton claims that the district court erred in imposing her sentence of imprisonment. Because Appleton waived her right to appeal any sentence for her offense of conviction within or below the Guidelines range, we must dismiss her appeal.

Petitioner, Betty Sparks, appeals the denial of her post-conviction petition alleging that the post-conviction court erred in finding that she received the effective assistance of counsel at trial. Following our review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

This is an action to modify a permanent parenting plan. Mother appeals the trial court’s order finding her in civil contempt, modifying the parties’ parenting plan, and awarding attorney’s fees to Father. She also argues that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over Father’s initial petition to establish a parenting plan. We have determined that the trial court properly exercised subject matter jurisdiction over this matter. We affirm the trial court’s finding that Mother’s failure to abide by the parenting plan constituted a material change of circumstance. However, Father failed to carry his burden of proof to demonstrate that modification of the 2021 parenting plan to designate Father as primary residential parent is in the child’s best interest. We therefore reverse the trial court’s judgment granting Father’s petition to modify. We affirm the trial court’s award of attorney’s fees to Father and remand for recalculation of the parties’ child support obligations. Father’s request for attorney’s fees on appeal is denied.